Freeing dissidents seen as vital to Myanmar transition

EU foreign ministers noted the generals' February 9announcement of a referendum on a new, as yet unfinished,constitution in May to be followed by a general election in2010, but warned sanctions could be toughened without progresson human rights.

The EU tightened sanctions last year after a bloodycrackdown in September on peaceful pro-democracy protests ledby Buddhist monks. The steps targeted 1,207 firms and expandedvisa bans and asset freezes on the country's military rulers.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldnerbacked the assessment of U.N. mediator Ibrahim Gambari that theplans announced by the generals were welcome but "do not yetmeet all the expectations".

"We would like to see that both the referendum and theensuing elections are steps towards that goal, but they have tobe clarified," she told reporters after the meeting of foreignministers in Brussels.

"The participation of political parties has to be clear,the electoral law, the process of free and fair electionsitself."

The full participation of the opposition and ethnic groupswas vital to reconciliation and stability and urged a moreinclusive political dialogue.

"This requires of course as one of the major bases ofconditions the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and of course allthe other political prisoners," she said.

The generals last held elections in 1990, but ignored themwhen Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won by alandslide.

Opposition figures and some Western countries have voicedscepticism that the junta will be willing to let the oppositioncompete in the vote or to relinquish power.

The EU ministers called on the generals to re-admit Gambariand U.N. human rights expert Sergio Pinheiro. Ferrero-Waldnersaid it was important Gambari be allowed back in to Myanmarbefore April and have full cooperation from the authorities.

Gambari last week criticised Myanmar's extension of thehouse arrest of top Suu Kyi ally Tin Oo but said the generalsmight allow him to visit sooner than a proposed mid-April date.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Jon Boyle)