Shan and Karen lobby EU

Shan and Karen lobby EU's next president

Shan and Karen representatives were just back from their week-long lobbying campaign in Greece, the country that would be chairing the European Union's Presidium by the end of the year, according to a report received by S.H.A.N. yesterday (17 May). 

The duo, Sai Wansai a.k.a. Sai Myo Win, General Secretary of the exiled Shan Democratic Union, and Saw Zarkis, Karen National Union's representative from Europe, were in Athens from 8-15 May, to brief the Greek government on the democratization process in Burma, the United Nations Drug Control Program's support to aid Burma's drug war, the international humanitarian aid programme and ongoing human rights abuses in Burma and to solicit Greek support for Tripartite Dialogue that would include the non-Burman nationalities apart from the ruling military council and the opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi. 

"Most Greek politicians are uninformed about Burma and only regionally motivated," said Wansai. "Now they know they must do their homework. Both Zarkis and I feel solid groundwork has been laid." 

On 8 May, the two were interviewed by Elefterotipia (Free Press), one of Greece's two leading newspapers. 

On the following day, the two were met by Paul Charalambous, Deputy Head, Division for Asia and Oceania, and Nicolas Tsamados, Deputy Director General of Hellenic Aid, which deals in international cooperation and development. Both were from the Greek foreign ministry. 

On 14 May, the two had meetings with Panos Trigazis of Synaspismos Party and Fotios Papantoniou, a senior member of the Asia and Pacific Research Department of the ruling Pasok Party. 

"(The latter) told us that it was like a godsend for he (had been) asked to prepare a position paper for the party," reported Wansai. "He concluded that the solution of Burma's problems could only be reached with ethnic nationalities' participation." 

The two representatives had also worked together during their previous trips to Portugal in February and Spain in April. 

"The ENSCC (Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee) should be happy, because not only we are toeing their line but we are helping them with their job too," concluded Wansai. 

The ENSCC was formed on 30 August last year to speak on behalf of the non-Burman nationalities to bring about a Tripartite Dialogue, as called for by the United Nations General Assembly in its annual resolutions. It is chaired by Saw Ba Thin, who is also President of the Karen National Union. 

The group also coordinates the work of other non-Burman political groupings: the National Democratic Front, United Nationalities League for Democracy, ceasefire groups and non-ceasefire groups.