Myanmar military faces new sanctions from US lawmakers

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers proposed sanctions against Myanmar’s military, in some of the strongest efforts yet by Washington to pressure the South-East Asian nation to end abusive treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority.

House Republicans and Democrats introduced legislation that would curtail assistance or cooperation with Myanmar’s military and require the White House to identify senior military officials who would have US visa bans imposed or reimposed against them.

A bipartisan group in the Senate, including Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John McCain, introduced their Bill on Thursday.

It calls for renewal of import and trade restrictions on Myanmar, including re-imposing a ban on jade and rubies from the country also known as Burma.

“Our legislation would hold accountable the senior military officials responsible for the slaughter and displacement of innocent men, women and children in Burma, and make clear that the United States will not stand for these atrocities,” McCain said in a statement.

The tough proposals came as US President Donald Trump departed for an extended trip to Asia, where he will attend a summit with SouthEast Asian nations including Myanmar.

The United States, while condemning the deadly violence that has prompted more than 600,000 people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, has been careful to say it holds the military responsible, not Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government.

House Democrat Eliot Engel said lawmakers wanted to send a “clear message” with the targeted sanctions, both to the military and the civilian leadership.

“This violence must stop, perpetrators must be held accountable, and there must be meaningful civilian control over Burma’s military and security forces,” Engel said.