One year ago in Myanmar, the military brutally seized power and plunged the country into a severe crisis. The last year has been a lost year full of suffering for the people of Myanmar. Today my thoughts are with the thousands who have been killed, imprisoned or tortured by the military regime, and the thousands upon thousands of others who have been forced to flee.

The junta must immediately stop the atrocious violence and repression that it is inflicting on its own people, release all political prisoners and allow humanitarian access to all parts of the population. It is also high time for the military to engage with the efforts made by ASEAN and the United Nations to foster a serious dialogue. We in the EU are prepared to impose further targeted sanctions on the military junta.

At the same time, I remain convinced that a return to the path of democracy is possible. The efforts of pro-democracy forces to foster dialogue between the different ethnic groups and build confidence deserve every support. Not even the military can ignore the clear will of the people indefinitely. Together with its partners, Germany will continue to vigorously support the people of Myanmar.