The Obama administration will ease restrictions on U.S. investment in Burma, its latest and furthest-reaching step yet to encourage the long-isolated country?s reforms during the past year.
The policy change ? announced Thursday afternoon after a meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Burma?s foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin ? includes some safeguards that prevent American companies from doing business with firms tied to Burma?s military.
The administration has in recent months announced a series of measures rewarding Burma?s leaders for reforms. On Thursday, the White House nominated Derek Mitchell, the current U.S. special envoy to Burma, to be the first American ambassador that country in 22 years.
Human rights groups, however, have lobbied in recent days against the further lifting of economic sanctions, saying the Burmese government?s reforms have not gone far enough and could still be reversed.
The sanctions will officially remain in place but simply suspended by executive order. Underscoring that point, the White House on Thursday morning renewed some of the measures that were set to expire Sunday.
?The Burmese government has made progress 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 Burma?s leading pro-democracy opposition party,? said the White House notification signed by President Obama. ?But the political opening is nascent, and we continue to have concerns, including remaining political prisoners, ongoing conflict, and serious human rights abuses in ethnic areas.?
The idea of suspending the investment ban against Burma, also known as Myanmar, has gained traction in recent days, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle speaking out on the issue.
Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) called the foreign minister?s visit an ?appropriate time? to lift economic sanctions. And Republican Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in a recent speech gave cautious support to the idea of suspending, but not entirely lifting, such bans. McCain also warned that the United States should keep restrictions against Burmese leaders and companies associated with human rights abuses and corruption and military-related firms.
Aung San Suu Kyi ? the longtime leader of Burma?s democracy movement ? has also expressed cautious support for such a move.
?This is a possible first step,? Suu Kyi said during a video teleconference call during an event held this week by former president George W. Bush. ?I am not against the suspension of sanctions as long as the people of the United States think this is the right thing to do at the moment.?
Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=70f67d9cbc9e31ec3b993398157f0ff1
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