Obama to extend sanctions on Myanmar
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E-mail Xinhua, May 18, 2012
U.S. President Barack Obama decided on Thursday to extend for another year the sanctions on investment and trade with Myanmar, citing it continues to pose "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the U.S. security and foreign policy.
While acknowledging "important strides" made by Myanmar's government in a number of areas, including releasing hundreds of political prisoners, pursuing cease-fire talks with several armed ethnic groups and pursuing a substantive dialogue with the leading pro-democracy opposition party, the U.S. government continues to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Myanmar, Obama said in an executive order issued by the White House.
Calling Myanmar's political opening as being "nascent," Obama said the U.S. remains concerned about issues including remaining political prisoners, ongoing conflict, and serious human rights abuses in ethnic areas in Myanmar.
"The United States is committed to supporting Burma's reform effort, but the situation in Burma continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," he said.
"For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Burma and to maintain in force the sanctions that respond to this threat," Obama added.
The move came as Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin started a visit to the United States on Thursday by holding meetings with U.S. officials in Washington, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who made a landmark visit to Myanmar later last year to urge for further reforms.
The U.S. has been imposing tough sanctions on Myanmar since May 1997, banning investment and trade with the southeastern country to punish it for so-called "large-scale repression of the democratic opposition."
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