Minister slams EU sanctions against Myanmar, China as ‘pointless and harmful’
Speaking to Hungarian press on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Szijjarto said such strategic decisions were “particularly senseless” at a time when international cooperation was gaining special significance as “a tool to save lives rather than [introducing] austerity measures”.
The sanctions will further poison EU-China ties, relations the former could profit from greatly “if cooperation could be based on rational thinking,” Szijjarto said.
The EU approved sanctions against 11 Myanmar citizens and four legal entities registered in that country, in response to their role in the coup in the country on February 1, or in the bloody repercussions against demonstrations there. The sanctions list also contains four Chinese citizens.
Regarding the Cotonou Agreement between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), Szijjarto said it has “become a pro-migration agreement aimed at increasing migration pressure on the bloc’s member states.”
Szijjarto said the agreement, which is being extended after its expiration in December 2020, “completely ignores the new reality that millions of people have lost their jobs in Europe”. “Now is not the time to inspire people from the [ACP] region to come to Europe,” he said.
The EU’s priority should be to tackle the challenges closer to home and to create jobs for everyone who have lost theirs due to the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
Szijjarto also noted that the European Commission planned to approve the document in a way that would not need the ratification of idividual member states.
Hungary will fight against such a procedure with all tools at its disposal, he said, and called it unacceptable that “Brussels should launch a new attack to ramp up migration in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.”
“We insist on national parliaments having a say in whether they want to ratify a pro-migration document,” he added.
Commenting on talks between the EU foreign affairs council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Szijjarto said Hungary was deeply committed to protecting human rights, including the rights of ethnic minorities.
The rights of ethnic minorities are being “employed discriminatively” in international politics, Szijjarto said. “They try to ignore” the rights of religious and national minorities contrary to the rights of “other kinds of minorities”, he said. Meanwhile, the rights of ethnic minorities is violated in many places around the world, he said.
Szijjarto cited Ukraine as an example, saying that “systematic violations” of the rights of Hungarian ethnic minorities were ongoing there.
“We expect the UN and the EU to be at least as vocal on this issue as they are on real or alleged human rights abuses a thousand kilometres away. We expect them to champion the rights of ethnic minorities at least as strongly as those of other minorities,” Szijjarto said.
Although Christians are among the most persecuted religious communities around the world, that fact is barely noted in international documents, he said.
Hungary wants this discriminative practice to stop, he said.
The EU sanctions on Myanmar and PRC, are ideological (for Myanmar) and POLITICAL (for PRC).
The EU is using Myanmar, as a lever, to politically hammer PRC – knowing that it will have no economic or military impact, on the PRC.
The Myanmar economy is not dependent AT ALL, on the EU or the USA.The Han Chinese control most of the critical trade and commerce.The Military operates on aid,from the PRC/PLA.There are several secessionist movements in Myanmar, under the control of the Shan State,Kachen Liberation army etc.
The sanctions by the EU,will push Myanmar, into the PERMANENT FOLD,of the PRC.That is how the PRC has planned the latest conflagaration in Myanmar.The PRC knew that the COVID crisis in EU,is out of control, and the EU needed a stick, to wave at PRC – and that was provided by the Myanmar Junta (with the planning of the PRC).
The EU sanctions have also permanently secured the Chinese investments in deep draft ports in Myanmar. Soon the Chinese can dock Nuke subs and destroyers, in the Bay of Bengal.The EU sanctions are also a stepping stone,to start large scale SEZs in Myanmar,and if there are sanctions on Myanmar Rice and Agri exports – then the PRC can start LARGE SCALE LOGGING,of the Myanmar Timber.
Myanmar is the GEM , in the South East Asian curvature (excl. Thailand).Myanmar can wipe out the Agri exports of Laos,Cambodia and Vietnam and also severely DENT Thai Agri exports (which is Y the Thai Int and Thai Military supports the Myanmarese insurgents).THIS GEM HAS NOW FALLEN INTO THE LAP OF THE PRC.
The Myanmar Generals, are firmly ensconced,in the PLA hands – and are unaffected by the EU sanctions.No timber is logged and no drug is trafficked, in Shan or Kachin,or other insurgent zones, w/o a payoff.These insurgents can be CRUSHED in a few days – but they are ALLOWED TO FESTER by the Military.
Lastly,the Freedom Fighters in the North East will get FULL SUPPORT from the Myanmar Military and the PLA.
The EU is running out of creative ideas and EMBOLDENING the PRC . dindooohindoo