Barroso in Myanmar
November 4, 2012
Barroso urged religious leaders in Myanmar, formerly called Burma, to call for restraint. Since June, clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims have claimed scores of lives and left more than 100,000 people displaced.
"We are deeply concerned by these events and by the consequences for the reforms and democratization of the country," Barroso said, according to a commission statement released in Brussels.
EU offers aid
"The EU stands ready to mobilize 4 million euros ($5.1 million) for immediate humanitarian needs, provided access to the affected areas is guaranteed," Barroso added.
Barroso held talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein, who took charge last year and initiated reforms.
Myanmar's emergence from decades of military rule recently prompted the EU and United States to ease sanctions.
Barroso, who is the latest in a string of Western officials to visit Myanmar, was speaking at a newly established center in Yangon designed to promote dialogue between all parties in Myanmar's peace process.
The EU has contributed 700,000 euros to start up the center. The commission's statement said in 2013 the EU would contribute 30 million euros to Myanmar's peace process.
Barroso's trip to southeast Asia will also include the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Vientiane, Laos.
ipj/ch (Reuters, dpa, AFP)