[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Myanmar Praises U.S. Court Ruling S



Subject: Myanmar Praises U.S. Court Ruling Striking down Trade Law 

Jun. 24, 1999 >> 11:34 pm GMT 

Asia:Myanmar

Myanmar Praises U.S. Court Ruling Striking down Trade Law

AP
24-JUN-99

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- The military government of Myanmar praised a U.S.
court Thursday for overturning a Massachusetts law that sought to discourage
trade with the southeast Asian nation. 
In a statement faxed to news organizations in Bangkok, Myanmar's government
called the decision that found the law unconstitutional "realistic and
responsible." 

"Although sanctions imposed on Myanmar do not have much effect on the country,
it is still sad to see reputable U.S. business companies losing out to other
competitors in the region," it said. 

Tuesday's decision by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could affect
dozens
of American states and local governments that have imposed economic
boycotts on
companies that do business with Myanmar to protest human rights abuses there. 

The ruling found human rights conditions in Myanmar are "deplorable" but said
the law interfered with the federal government's constitutional powers to
conduct foreign affairs. 


The Massachusetts law, enacted in 1996, banned state agencies, which purchase
$2 billion in goods and services annually, from doing business with any
company
that trades with Myanmar. 


The court ruled Massachusetts had no right to single out a particular trading
partner for a boycott and no authorization to regulate activities in Myanmar
through economic sanctions. 


The lawsuit was brought by the National Foreign Trade Council, which
represents
580 major U.S. corporations. The Massachusetts law affected more than 30
member
companies, but the group refused to name which ones for fear consumers would
boycott them. 



Copyright 1999& The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 






© 1999 Cable News Network, Inc. A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this information is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.

Custom News is built on technology.