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Review of U.S. Policy toward Burma



Review of U.S. Policy towards Burma and how Burma can improve its relations
with U.S.

27/6/98
Since September 1988, the relations between U.S. and Burma have been
deteriorating. The then SLORC and today's SPDC could not make the relations
better.Why?The Burmese government continues large-scale repression by
refusing to have a dialogue with the opposition party NLD led by Aung San
Suu Kyi.The government keeps on jailing the politically opinionated
dissidents. President Clinton extended for another year the state of
emergency that provided the legislative authority for the administration's
sanctions against the Burmese government for lack of progress in political
reforms in Burma. Human rights and democracy are indispensable factors for
the U.S. administration to consider which policy to prescribe for a nation.
In some cases human rights and democracy could be playing a lesser role than
trade exceptionally.China is a clear example. In the Burmese case U.S. sees
lack of human rights and democracy in Burma and this  is an unusual threat
to the national  security and forein policy  of the United States.  

Counternarcotic efforts attempted by SPDC  formerly SLORC have been abortive
and unsuccessful in the eyes of the DEA which  has over 30 agents in
Asia.Drugs still flow from Burma into US via China. Drug problem in Burma
has been a deja vu  that is worsening day by day.Khun Sa wanted by the U.S.
government is still at large, being shielded by SPDC.

In terms of trade ,due to sanctions Burma can  no longer be in the interest
of the United States. UNOCAL has been the last of the Mohigans to withdraw
from Burma. Of course Burma has been a nation of strategic location as it is
China's neighbour receiving its favours beyond compare. But that doesn't
seem to matter to the United States considering the fact that China is on
the A list of the CIA and Burma on the C list. 

U.S. sanctions on Burma have been renewed as a result of finding no progress
in human rights and democracy. The U.S. has suspended economic aid,
withdrawn Burma from the General System of Preferences (GSP) and Overseas
Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) programs, implemented an arms embargo,
blocked assistance from international financial institutions, downgraded our
representation from Ambassador to Charge d'Affaires, imposed visa
restrictions on senior officials and their families, and instituted a ban on
new investment by U.S. persons.

The Burmese economic situation has been grim and seems to be deteriorating.
SPDC is almost banckrupt with respect to foreign exchange reserves.. In
March, the regime cut to three the number of banks in the entire country
allowed to process transactions involving foreign exchange, all central
government-affiliated. 

In view of the situations mentioned above, SPDC need change its policy
towards the democratic opposition. First of all, SPDC ought to start a
genuine dialogue with NLD , including Aung San Suu Kyi. Second of all, SPDC
should be more arduous in eradicating all poppy fields and responsible in
counter-narcotic operations on its own. SPDC should stop  dominating  the
political, economic and social life of the country in the same oppressive,
heavy-handed way that it has since seizing power in September 1988 after
harshly suppressing massive pro-democracy demonstrations.

Provided SPDC will be willing to be a little more lenient toward the
opposition and take a few steps toward political reforms, the U.S.
administration would surely reconsider its policy toward Burma and Burma
could still become Burma once known as  South East Asia's rice bowl. 

SPDC should keep in mind that U.S policy  toward Burma seeks progress in
three key areas: democracy, human rights, and counternarcotics.It is crystal
clear for SPDC as to what the future will bring in case of change in its own
policy towards the democractic opposition and in counternarcotics operations.

By Julien Moe

Reference:State Department Reports & Press Releases;White House Files and
DEA Reports