US Policy on Myanmar: A New Start?

Just days after former US President Bill Clinton made a ‘private visit’ to North Korea to secure the release of two US journalists, Senator Jim Webb visited Myanmar, also known as Burma. The aim was to secure the release of John Yettaw, an American national, sentenced earlier this month to seven years of hard labour for illegally entering Suu Kyi's house last May. The Burmese opposition leader was given a further 18 months of house arrest for the incident.

Senator Webb’s mission was successful. The junta released Yettaw on humanitarian grounds. It was a move widely anticipated by many observers like Bo Kyi, head of the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners: “The military regime in Burma wants to ease the international pressure, therefore they allowed Jim Webb to visit Burma,” says Bo Kyi.

Meeting with the junta chief and Suu Kyi

During his stay, Webb held talks with the junta chief Than Shwe and was allowed to meet Suu Kyi, unlike UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who did not get to see the detained leader when he was in Myanmar last month.

Clinton’s mission to North Korea and Webb’s visit to Myanmar have sparked a debate as to whether the US is changing its policy towards the two hard-line regimes and plans to expand its ties. But Donald Seekins, a Myanmar expert at Japan’s Meio University does not see things like this:

“The US government sees these cases as humanitarian issues,” says Seekins. “They have some responsibility to help US citizens who are in trouble. So I think these issues are separate from the policy issues like for instance the North Korean nuclear issue or human rights in Myanmar.”

Neither is Myanmar’s pro-democracy activist Bo Kyi very optimistic about the long-term outcome of such a visit:

“In early 90s US Congressman Bill Richardson visited Burma and many expected a change in their Burmese policy. But nothing happened.”

Easing sanctions

Earlier this week Senator Webb spoke to the media in Thailand and said that he hoped the junta would pay attention to the international calls to free Suu Kyi so that she could take part in next year’s elections.

But he also said that he believed the US economic sanctions on the military regime would have little impact. The US and the EU have recently extended sanctions against Myanmar which include a travel ban on top officials, an arms embargo and a freeze of Myanmar's assets.

"The sanctions of the past several years have increased Myanmar's isolation from Western governments and culture," said Webb. “These are major impediments in allowing the Burmese people the kind of access to the outside world that is essential to their economic and political growth."

Rights activists, such as Bo Kyi, however, see these sanctions as key to maintain pressure on the junta. “Without the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners any sanctions imposed by the EU and the US should not change.”

Symbolic changes

Critics on the other hand believe that easing sanctions or any engagement with Myanmar can be damaging for the Obama administration’s image.

“If President Obama was to repeal some of the sanctions, he would come under heavy criticism from the opposition," says Seekins. "It will be a difficult situation for Obama and he has already got a lot of problems so I don’t think he would be willing to risk his political support through a change in Myanmar policy.”

Seekins advocates some symbolic changes on the part of the US such as upgrading its diplomatic presence in Myanmar:

“The US could appoint an ambassador to Myanmar, perhaps they could allow the Myanmar officials to travel to the US, right now there is a ban against them; and if the government tones down the rhetoric that may help in improving the atmosphere.”

But he warns that unless the junta changes its hard-line policies and releases political prisoners, there is not much that the US really can do to help bring about a change in Myanmar.

Author: Disha Uppal
Editor: Grahame Lucas