US wants to increase pressure on Myanmar military junta – international

The US government wants to find new ways to increase pressure on Myanmar’s military junta, despite the sanctions already in place, said US diplomat Anthony Blingen.

“Ten months after the military coup, the crisis has intensified,” Blinken admitted when asked at a news conference in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, about the apparent inadequacy of US sanctions.

“It is very important in the coming weeks and months that we look for additional measures and measures that we can take individually and collectively to put pressure on the regime to rediscover the democratic path of the country,” he added. New obstacles.

The Secretary of State called for the “implementation of a five-point consensus”, which helped to contribute to the dialogue and to bring humanitarian aid to the country with a roadmap drawn up by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April. .

After 10 years of democracy, Myanmar has returned to military rule following the February 1 coup against the civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

The maneuver provoked protests and acts of disobedience, with the military responding with violent repression, which has killed more than 1,300 people since February, according to a local organization.

The Burmese military marked the year 2017 with repression against the Rohingya Muslim minority, with 850,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

Blingen said Washington was investigating the military’s crimes against the Rohingya to determine “whether they were genocide”.