Posted on 07/28/2003 4:34:14 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
President George W. Bush signed a bill on Monday closing the U.S. market to imports from Myanmar, where pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been held by the country's ruling junta since May 30.
''By denying these rulers the hard currency they use to fund their repression, we are providing strong incentives for democratic change and human rights in Burma,'' Bush said in a written statement.
He urged neighboring Asian nations to do their part and said the world must make clear through word and deed that the people of Burma deserve ''to live in dignity and freedom under leaders of their own choosing.
''The United States will not waver from its commitment to the cause of democracy and human rights in Burma,'' Bush said.
He signed the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act after returning from a speech in Pittsburgh. Congress sent him the legislation on July 16.
The new law imposes economic sanctions on the government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, but it limits the import ban to three years instead of continuing it indefinitely. That reflects U.S. business community concerns about the difficulty of lifting sanctions once they are imposed.
The United States imported $356 million worth of textiles, clothing, footwear and other goods from Myanmar in 2002.
.................
At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher said it was ''absolutely outrageous'' that the military rulers were blaming Suu Kyi for the clash in May.
''The junta orchestrated this attack and has still has not provided a full accounting of the dead, the injured and the missing. We remain very concerned about her welfare, and the international community continues to seek access to her.
''The Burmese junta needs to release her and her supporters immediately, develop jointly with the National League for Democracy and other political parties some concrete plans to restore democracy in Burma, and then begin to implement such a plan,'' the spokesman told a briefing.
(Excerpt) Read more at famulus.msnbc.com ...
BTW, I'm holding a baseball cap made in Myanmar even as I type.
Now all the president has to do is apply the same standard to China and we're in business. Any day now. Yep. Any day now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.