The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has criticized the European Union (EU) for failing to engage with civil society during a recent high-level visit to Burma. In an open letter dated Dec. 4 to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who led a delegation for the EU-Myanmar Task Force on Nov. 13-15, FIDH President Karim Lahidji said the EU failed to “effectively and genuinely engage with civil society and to foster a comprehensive approach on human rights.” It said a civil society forum excluded human rights organizations, and criticized an “unbalanced” joint statement that “reflects the interests of the private sector” but did omitted human rights concerns.
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