(Brussels, 23 October) Given the rare opportunity to sit down with representatives of Myanmar’s military junta, Amnesty International strongly urges the French EU Presidency to use the occasion presented by the ASEM summit taking place in Beijing, to raise concerns about the severe human rights situation in the country. In a letter to the French Presidency (available here) Amnesty International said that along with other human rights concerns in the region, the EU should address the violations in Myanmar where around 2,100 political prisoners are currently being detained. In accordance with the EU’s guidelines on human rights defenders, the French Presidency should take advantage of this opportunity to inquire about the prisoners, many of whom are at risk of torture.