U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order Wednesday approving a new round of sanctions against the coup in Burma and demanding that the Burmese military release the detained pro-democracy leader.
Biden said at the White House on the same day that the executive order authorizes the U.S. government to immediately impose sanctions, including on business interests, on the direct leaders of the Burmese military coup and their families. Washington will, within this week, identify the first round of sanctions and prevent Burma’s military leaders from accessing the Burmese government’s approximately $1 billion in U.S. assets.
Biden stressed that the U.S. will also strengthen export restrictions on Burma; freeze Burmese government assets in the U.S. in addition to ensuring medical care and assistance to social organizations. The U.S. will also work with international partners to bring parties on board with U.S. actions.
The Burmese military staged a military coup earlier this month to arrest pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an incident that sparked severe condemnation from international public opinion and Burmese society.
President Biden emphasized that the U.S. maintains serious bipartisan concerns about the situation in Burma and that the Burmese military must immediately release pro-democracy leaders and activists and relinquish the seized power.
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