BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union is to tighten sanctions against Myanmar after seeing no "positive development" on a list of demands on human rights and democracy, the EU Dutch presidency said.
The EU warned last month that it would bolster measures against the military-ruled country unless it met a series of demands ahead of a Europe-Asia summit opening in Hanoi on Friday.
"It is absolutely clear that the situation with respect to democracy and human rights has not improved in our view and there has not a been a positive development on the list of issues raised by the EU," said a Dutch diplomat.
EU foreign ministers are likely to agree to the beefed-up sanctions at a regular meeting in Luxembourg next Monday, said another EU source.
The extra measures will include extending the list of persons subject to a visa ban and prohibiting EU companies from making financing such as loans and equities available to Burmese state-owned companies," a source said.
The EU already has a visa ban in place against the Myanmar regime. Britain, the colonial ruler of what was then Burma, is the EU's harshest opponent of having any dealings with Yangon.
Last month EU foreign ministers reiterated their regret over the continued house arrest of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, harrassment of her National League for Democracy and a lack of open debate in the National Convention.
These were three areas on which the EU has pressed for progress from Yangon. The bloc had threatened to boycott the Hanoi ASEM summit, but agreed to attend on condition that Burma be represented at a lower than head of state level.