U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced via Twitter on March 29 that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will suspend all U.S. trade with Burma under the 2013 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). She said, “We support the efforts of the Burmese people to restore a democratically elected government, which is the foundation for economic growth and reform in Burma.”
On March 27, Burma’s Military Day, junta security forces used a deadly and violent crackdown on unarmed civilians across the country, resulting in a tragic death toll of 114 known people in more than 40 towns and cities in Burma. “This is absolutely heinous,” President Joe Biden said in a 28-day interview about the incident. He said the U.S. is preparing a response.
Dyche noted, “We strongly condemn the brutal violence against civilians by Burmese security forces. The killing of peaceful protesters, students, workers, labor leaders, medical personnel and children shocked the conscience of the international community.” She called the actions “a direct attack on the country’s transition to democracy and on the efforts of the Burmese people to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future.” In addition, a statement released by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that day read, “U.S. Trade Representative Dyche today announced that the United States is suspending all dealings with Burma under the 2013 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, effective immediately. This suspension will remain in effect until the return of a democratically elected government.”
Dyche said, “The United States supports the efforts of the Burmese people to restore a democratically elected government, which is the foundation for economic growth and reform in Burma. The United States strongly condemns the brutal violence against civilians by Burmese security forces.” She reiterated that “the killings of peaceful protesters, students, workers, labor leaders, health care workers and children shock the conscience of the international community. These actions are a direct attack on the country’s transition to democracy and the efforts of the Burmese people to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future.”
The statement said, “In addition to suspending future Trade and Investment Framework Agreement dealings with the military regime, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will consider Burma’s situation with respect to internationally recognized eligibility standards for workers’ rights as Congress considers reauthorization of the Generalized Preferential Tax System (GSP) program. Reports that the military has targeted Burmese unions and workers for their role in pro-democracy protests raise serious concerns about the protection of workers’ rights.”
The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed between the U.S. and Burma in 2013 is said to create a platform for ongoing dialogue and cooperation on trade and investment issues. Burma has agreed to work with the United States on programs that support economic reform, inclusive development and integration into the global trading system. On the important issue of labor rights, Myanmar recognizes the importance of respecting, promoting and fulfilling the fundamental labor rights enumerated by the International Labor Organization, as well as effectively enforcing respective worker rights laws and regulations.
In addition to the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, in 2016, the Government of Myanmar committed to further strengthen the protection of workers’ rights through an exchange of letters. This exchange of letters, along with measures already taken by Myanmar to improve workers’ rights, facilitated Myanmar’s return as a beneficiary of the universal preferential tax system in November 2016. The United States had suspended Burma’s Universal Preferential Tax System benefits in 1989 on workers’ rights grounds following a violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations and strikes in 1988.
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