Encouraged by Myanmar’s progress towards democracy and installation of a civilian government, US President Barack Obama on Thursday made a decision to terminate national emergency imposed on the country and said he will “soon” lift the sanctions against it.
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The long-standing trade sanctions against Myanmar from the United States will soon be lifted, according to United States President Barack Obama, who feels that the country has taken significant steps towards democratic reform.
Ms. Suu Kyi’s desire to channel more investment to Myanmar appears to have overcome her earlier support for sanctions, which the former dissident and Nobel Peace Prize victor viewed as a way of encouraging the military on the path to reform after it released her from house arrest in 2010.
Some major USA brands have already jumped into the frontier economy, but many have stayed away saying the sanctions make investment too expensive and unsafe.
The two women discussed the challenges faced by Myanmar as it transitions from military rule to democracy during Ms Suu Kyi’s first visit outside of Asia since her party’s election victory past year.
The United States is to lift trade sanctions against Myanmar.
A latest round of sanctions relief could ease restrictions on Myanmar’s military, which ran the country for decades and still controls important government functions like its borders and armed forces.
U.S. officials said Myanmar would be back in the program by mid-November, however the ban on military assistance and visas for military leaders would remain.
Suu Kyi is barred from being president under a military-drafted constitution because her sons are not Myanmar citizens. She invited a team led by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general, to begin investigating the plight of the Rohingya, a group of about 1 million Muslims living in dire conditions in western Myanmar.
President Obama said the lifting of some sanctions would happen “soon”, but did not give further details.
The US has progressively eased sanctions on Myanmar since 2011, when the military junta began ceding power.
Not everyone is happy regarding the budding relationship between Barack Obama and Aung San Suu Kyi, however, as the 71-year-old has been accused by various human rights groups for not intervening enough when it came to the Rohingya conflict.
Obama commended Myanmar’s initiatives to address the longstanding concerns of all communities in Rakhine State, including the establishment of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State chaired by former United Nations chief, Kofi Annan.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest for nearly 15 years, is ineligible to become the president of the country, as her two sons are British citizens. Massive illegal trade in goods including jade and timber continues, as does civil war with many ethnic minorities. On that occasion, she was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal, the legislature’s highest civilian honour, which she had been awarded in 2008 while under house arrest.
As for the concerns raised by Corker and many human rights advocates, Suu Kyi said,”we want to make sure that everyone who is entitled to citizenship is accorded citizenship as quickly and as fairly as possible”.
Following the meeting, the White House issued a statement announcing the termination of national emergency and a presidential executive order regarding the sanctions on Myanmar.
Khin Maung Lwin, permanent secretary from the Ministry of Commerce, said the changes would help shine a light on shadowy industries like the jade trade, worth billions of dollars and run by illicit gangs and corrupt military officials that has fuelled decades of violence in Myanmar’s borderlands.
Privately, US officials acknowledge Suu Kyi is working with some very tough political constraints and dare not push the military, or the public, too far or too fast.
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Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Republican Senator Cory Gardner said he will introduce legislation that would require close consultation with Congress on lifting of any sanctions.
