In addition, due to its particularly severe violations of religious freedom, the United States designated Myanmar a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Advertisement
For her part, Suu Kyi described the range of economic policies her government was pursuing aimed at developing the economy.
The State Counsellor reiterated to the President her commitment to furthering Myanmar’s democratic transition by pursuing peace, national reconciliation, and inclusive growth. “Some of them have even increased their fortunes in the few months the NLD has been in government by getting more licences”.
While Obama and his administration were pleased at Suu Kyi’s elevation to the role after decades as an outspoken critic of the military junta, rights groups are concerned at the condition of ethnic minorities in the country. For the U.S., rivalry with China has given considerable momentum (and rare cross-party support) to United States engagement.
“The United States is now prepared to lift sanctions that we have imposed on Burma for quite some time”, Obama said, speaking in the Oval Office with Aung San Suu Kyi at his side. When asked about the timeline for lifting the remaining sanctions, Obama replied, “Soon”.
“After witnessing her lack of regard for Burma’s dismal track record on this issue, I plan to pay very close attention to her government’s efforts to prevent innocent human beings from being trafficked and sold into forced labor and sex slavery”, Corker said in a statement released to Reuters after a breakfast meeting with Suu Kyi and Vice President Joe Biden. The country will be back on the GSP programme on 13 November, US authorities said.
“That said, we continue to want to encourage the pursuit of additional Democratic reforms as many have noted”.
From a business perspective, sanctions legislation remains complex, and its piecemeal suspension rather than removal has inhibited many USA firms from considering market entry. “Sanctions have a serious negative impact on the country no matter how targeted or smart they are”.
The United States President Barack Obama finally said “it’s the right thing to do” for Myanmar. On that occasion, she was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal, the legislature’s highest civilian honor, which she had been awarded in 2008 while under house arrest. Now in power, her government is eager to show it can deliver economic dividends.
Her party still appears uncomfortable debating the merits of decades of western sanctions or their long term effects on the political economy.
Obama did not say when he would rescind an executive order underpinning broader sanctions that declares Myanmar a “national emergency”.
Scrapping that order would bring clarity to U.S. firms thinking about doing business in Burma, helping the economy and with it Suu Kyi’s government. The public concession has been a long time coming, and undoubtedly delivers an enormous favour to the Obama administration.
Suu Kyi also was expected to meet other USA officials including Secretary of State John Kerry and senior members of Congress. The Senate has softened its lines, with key former sanctions proponents including Mitch McConnell and John McCain backing sanctions relief.
While the latest lift was celebrated in the business world, rights groups cautioned Obama was forgoing crucial leverage over the military, which still holds a quarter of parliament seats and controls several powerful ministries.
However, it maintained most of its restrictions to pressure those who the U.S. consider are hindering the work of the new government through a constitution drafted by the military. “By lifting sanctions, there will be better-quality import products”.
Advertisement
But the move was quickly criticized by leaders of some human rights groups, who said they anxious that eliminating sanctions was premature given the slow pace of change in Myanmar, also known as Burma, where the military still controls a large portion of parliamentary seats and important government ministries.
