Bush renews sanctions against Myanmar
Wed May 18, 2005
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Tuesday renewed broad sanctions against military-ruled Myanmar because of its continued repression of opposition threatens U.S. interests.
Bush formally notified Congress that he was extending the sanctions for one year because Myanmar had made little progress on human rights and democracy.
"These actions and policies, including its policies of committing large scale repression of the democratic opposition in Burma, are hostile to U.S. interests and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," Bush said in a message to Congress.
"For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Burma and maintain in force the sanctions against Burma to respond to this threat," Bush said.
The United States and Europe have shunned Myanmar and slapped sanctions on Yangon to induce the military government to release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
In its annual human rights report issued in February, the State Department said the former Burma's "extremely poor human rights record worsened" during 2004.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.