Myanmar’s Atrocities Demand New Sanctions

Author Vikram Singh encourages leadership in both chambers of Congress to support a bill that would reimpose U.S. sanctions on Myanmar's military leaders.

In response to the systematic campaign of murder and rape leading to the forced displacement of some 700,000 Rohingya people from Myanmar, Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel is offering a bill to reimpose U.S. sanctions on the country’s military leaders. With more than 70 bipartisan co-sponsors, it should be an easy lift, but friends of Myanmar, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are nervous about undermining Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s most powerful civilian ruler. Ignoring the role of the Myanmar armed forces, or Tatmadaw, in committing atrocities will not help Aung San Suu Kyi or the future of the country, which holds tremendous promise.

The above excerpt was originally published in Foreign Policy. Click here to view the full article.

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