ICC Note:

The United States recently lifted sanctions from Burma but religious persecution and violence suggest that Burma should continue human rights reforms before enjoying trade benefits with the US. Human rights experts are concerned that the end of U.S. sanctions leaves the responsibility of protecting religious and ethnic minorities to a government that still has remnants of military control among its ranks. The U.S. government and other human rights groups must monitor Burma’s actions and be willing to renew sanctions if the Burmese government proves incapable of protecting religious freedom.

09/23/2016 Burma (Radio Free Asia) – While many in Myanmar’s business communities welcomed the news that the U.S. will lift economic sanctions against the country, some journalists and ethnic and civil society groups took a more critical stance, apprehensive about the move’s effect on human rights.

The announcement was made during the visit of State Counselor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi’s to Washington where she met with U.S. President Barack Obama and asked him to drop the remaining sanctions.

The U.S. said it was ready to lift the economic sanctions and restore preferential trade benefits to Myanmar. The U.S. also dropped Myanmar from inclusion under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1997, which allows American presidents to annually declare the Asian country in a state of national emergency

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