United States to ease sanctions on Myanmar

Myanmar’s fledgling democratic transition is now reaching yet another turning point. A few days back, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party secured a landslide win in the elections. This victory has led Washington to ease sanctions on the
country which many feel is a job well done for a country that has had it rough for several years.

US are now seeking to set up an office of the US Agency for International Development in the country which goes on to show the country’s willingness to improve its ties with the former Burma.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also said Washington was “beginning the process of a targeted easing of our ban on the export of US financial services and investment as part of a broader effort to help accelerate economic modernisation and political
reform”.

However, due to the presence of the old guard that is still at large in the parliament, US is being cautious in its approach. Washington believes that Myanmar has a long way to go in order to shake off decades of military regime.

However Washington’s gesture rewards reforms like sweeping economic changes, the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the legalisation of trade unions.

It is expected that European Union will follow a similar path and will ease its sanctions on the country.

A few days back, China asked other European nations to lift sanctions on Myanmar.

"China has noted that some Western countries have expressed the will to partially lift sanctions against Myanmar," said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei during a regular press briefing.

China has always been a big supporter of the Myanmar cause and has been asking the international community to lift sanctions on the country since the 1990s.

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Posted by Taimoor Tariq on Apr 5 2012. Filed under South Asia, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry