U.S. Steps Up Pressure on Burmese Junta

In an effort to support the opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi, in the past the US imposed a five year economic ban against Myanmar's military Junta. But these tactics were inconsequential; Myanmar (Burma) continued to thrive through relations with its regional neighbors and $300 million in exports to US clothing and footwear companies. Following a recent attack on Suu Kyi and her entourage, the US wants to increase pressure on the junta through wider economic sanctions, including barring all imports from Myanmar. Though some praise the symbolic weight sanctions carry to foreign investors and suffering civilians, others argue that the current political environment in Asia makes sanctions a poor instrument for advancing reform. In particular, China’s economic and geopolitical interest in gaining access to Myanmar’s Indian Ocean ports will likely stymie the US’s best efforts to attain regional support. In the end, rather than encourage democracy or induce regime change, the weight of US sanctions will fall most heavily on Myanmar’s 350,000 garment factory workers. – YaleGlobal