Too Soon to Ease Burma Sanctions

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said today that the Obama Administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Burma following last month’s parliamentary election was premature. Statement […]

AIPMC Calls on US to Maintain Sanctions on Myanmar, For Now

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) today urged the US government to maintain sanctions on business activities in Myanmar, warning that a gold rush in the Southeast Asian nation could fuel further human rights abuses, risk fragile ceasefires and arrest ongoing democratic reforms rather than bolster them […]

US/Burma: Don’t Lift Sanctions Too Soon

Safeguards Needed Before Allowing Investment, Financial Services

The US government should not ease sanctions on business activities in Burma until adequate safeguards are in place to prevent new investment from fueling human rights abuses. A US presidential order imposing a ban on investment and financial services in Burma is scheduled to expire on May 20, 2012, unless it is renewed or revised […]

International Community’s Premature Rewards Fail to Address Armed Conflict and Human Rights Violations in Burma

This briefer looks at the April by-elections, new laws that fail to protect the people, ongoing armed conflict, problematic development, sanctions, and offers recommendations to the international community and guidelines for investment in Burma […]

New Peace Committee Offers Little Hope to Ethnic People

Last week, the Thein Sein government formed its new union-level peace committee comprised of a central committee and a working committee. Although the formation of the committee looks very encouraging to investors and gives another reason for Western countries to further lift sanctions, it gives little hope to the people of Kachin State who have lost both their homes and their faith in the President after he unsuccessfully and repeatedly ordered the Burma Army to halt offensives in Kachin State.

As with most of the reforms announced, much secrecy surrounds the new peace committee. There is little transparency regarding the process of its establishment and mandate. Apart from names of the central committee members, disclosed by an unofficial source, there is no other official information available about the central and working committees. The central committee headed by President Thein Sein and the 52-member working committee includes the Vice-Presidents, heads of States and Divisions, Members of Parliament, Ministers and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces […]

Investors Urge Administration to Take Cautious Approach to Lifting Sanctions on Burma

Investments Could Undermine Progress and Worsen Human Rights Abuses

Burma will remain a volatile area for business investment if the Obama Administration broadly relaxes U.S. sanctions, according to a dozen investors collectively managing more than $115 billion in assets. In a letter to President Obama, the investors cited concerns about the risk of derailing progress toward democracy and respect for human rights […]

Catherine Ashton Visits Burma/Myanmar to Open a New Chapter in the Relationship

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission, will travel to Burma/Myanmar from 28 to 30 April. She will inaugurate the Office of the European Union to Burma/Myanmar in Yangon […]

Human Rights Groups Resist State Department Efforts to Prematurely Reward the Burmese Regime

Nine human rights organizations are calling on the United States government to prioritize democracy and human rights in Burma by exercising caution when it comes to the relaxation of sanctions. In a letter to President Obama dated April 24, 2012, the groups urge […]

EU to Suspend Majority of Sanctions for a Year

The Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) adopted Council conclusions today suspending economic sanctions against Burma for a year, with the exception of the arms embargo. In a statement released following the meeting, the Council of the EU welcomed […]

Lifting Of Sanctions Premature, No Substantive Changes Yet

This week has seen the Thein Sein government awarded for their tentative steps towards a democratic Burma. Many countries such as the UK, Norway, Australia, and the US have announced an easing of sanctions while the EU will make a decision today although it seems a forgone conclusion that they will lift many sanctions. While these steps should be rewarded it must be noted that the fundamental conditions for which the sanctions were imposed in the first place remain and the steps taken by the government are tiny.

Catherine Ashton, EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security identified the three key areas in which EU policy towards sanctions against Burma will hinge on: national reconciliation, the release of political prisoners, and resolving ethnic conflict. If we take these three in turn, it is evident that these issues have not been resolved […]