BRUSSELS. July 6: The European Union is "deeply concerned at the continuing deterioration of the political situation in Myanmar" and at restrictions on fundamental freedoms imposed by the ruling junta, a statement from the Irish EU presidency said Friday. reports AFP.

In the statement, the EU expressed "continued strong concern with regard to restrictions'on the nindamental rights of freedom of Speech, movement and association."

The EU urged the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) "to implement without delay respect for human rights" and to "release immediately and unconditionally those members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who are still detained" and to respect the outcome of elections won by the NLD in May 1990.

The EU said it expected "a full and satisfactory explanation from the Myanmar authorities of the circumstance leading up to and surrounding the death in custody on 22 June 1996 of the late James Leander Nichols who had served as honorary consul for several European states."

It said the United Nations special rapporteur on Myanmar (the junta's official name for Burma) should undertake "an investigation into the death of Nichols who died after being arrested and jailed for allegedly contravening Myanmar's communication laws.

The EU said countries of the European Free Trade As sociation (EFTA). namely Cyprus Estonia. Hungary. Latvia. Lithuania. Malta. Poland and Romania" align themselves with this declaration."