Last Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released the framework for the US government’s new policy towards the Burmese regime. The policies of past US governments have centered on the imposition of a strict sanctions regime and diplomatic isolation of the Burmese military junta. The State Department’s new Burma policy, which will be completely released in the coming weeks, uses a combination of diplomatic engagement and economic sanctions to change regime behaviorLast Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released the framework for the US government’s new policy towards the Burmese regime. The policies of past US governments have centered on the imposition of a strict sanctions regime and diplomatic isolation of the Burmese military junta. The State Department’s new Burma policy, which will be completely released in the coming weeks, uses a combination of diplomatic engagement and economic sanctions to change regime behavior.
The Obama administration’s emphasis on engagement is a tentatively positive step. Sanctions have been ineffective in changing the Burmese regime’s behavior. However, as Philip Bowring noted, “[c]hange may prove as elusive as it has been in North Korea.” The Obama administration has placed the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratization of the Burmese political system, and the security relationship between Burma and North Korea on the top list of the new policy’s priorities. These cannot be the only concerns addressed in diplomatic engagement with the Burmese regime. The Washington Post raised several others: “Stricter, more effective, more targeted sanctions; measures that take aim at the regime’s rich earnings from natural gas sales; a U.N. investigation of the regime’s crimes against humanity, which have been amply documented.” Such imminent concerns, regarding both human rights and international security, need to be addressed if the Obama administration’s new Burma policy is to be considered effective.
Since last Wednesday’s UN “Group of Friends” on Burma session, the US government has launched full-force into organizing diplomatic forum with the Burmese regime. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), an outspoken proponent of diplomatic engagement with the regime and critic of US sanctions policy, accepted an invitation today to meet with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein. Two weekends ago, Sen. Webb met with Nyan Win, Burma’s foreign minister. In a meeting between President Barack Obama and Singaporean Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, President Obama requested that the first ever ASEAN-US summit take place in Singapore later this year. These diplomatic forums can only be effective if President Obama, Sen. Webb, and others use these opportunities to urge the regime to respect democracy and human rights.
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