US opts to engage Burma, but keeps sanctions

Posted on September 29, 2009
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The US has announced a new policy of engagement with Burma’s military rulers. They will also increase humanitarian assistance, but will not phase out sanctions without signs of political change.
“Burma’s continued estrangement from the international community harms the country and has direct negative consequences beyond Burma’s borders. Burma’s engagement with the outside world has the potential to encourage new thinking, reform, and participation in the work of the international community,” said Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Public Affairs.
Campbell said their aim was to begin a direct dialogue with Burmese authorities to lay out a path towards better relations. He said, “The dialogue will include specific discussion of democracy and human rights inside Burma, cooperation on international security issues such as non-proliferation and compliance with 1874 and 1718, and areas that could be of mutual benefit such as counternarcotics and recovery of World War II era remains.”
The new policy of engagement is the result of a review of Burma policy by the State Department. That review began by recognising that neither the Western approach of isolation nor the Asian approach of engagement had succeed in improving conditions inside Burma.
However, Campbell said despite the move towards engaging Burma’s leaders, the US would not be abandoning sanctions, at least not yet. He said, “In terms of sanctions, we will maintain existing sanctions until we see concrete progress towards reform.”
“Some people, including US Senator Jim Webb have called for an end to sanctions.
“Lifting sanctions now would send the wrong signal. We will tell the Burmese that we will discuss easing sanctions only if they take actions on our core concerns,” he said.
Furthermore, he said additional sanctions could be applied if the US felt they were warranted.
Crawford also said the US would continue to provide humanitarian assistance as long as they were confident of it reaching people in need.
With regard to the elections planned for next year, Crawford said they would take a measured approach to the elections until they could assess the electoral conditions and know whether opposition and ethnic groups will be able to participate.

However, he said, “We are sceptical that the elections will be either free or fair, but we will stress to the Burmese the conditions that we consider necessary for a credible electoral.”

Many critics say the elections, which are to be held under a new junta-drafted constitution are intended to entrench military rule in the country.
Under the new policy, the US will also look to work with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), China, and India to press the Burmese leadership to reform.