James R. Carroll | Mitch McConnell backs Obama's moves on Myanmar 'in principle'
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton last week announced that the Obama administration would soon appoint an envoy to Myanmar and take steps to ease some sanctions against that Southeast Asian nation.
Those steps were in response to the April 1 elections in Myanmar, also known as Burma, in which pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, won nearly all of the 44 seats they contested in parliament.
Suu Kyi’s victory has been seen as a major sign of progress in political reforms in a nation that has been ruled for decades by a military regime.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has been critical of the Obama administration on many fronts, offered an initial positive response to Clinton’s latest moves to normalize relations with Myanmar.
McConnell has been one of the most vocal supporters of Suu Kyi in Congress and has co-sponsored annual sanctions legislation against Myanmar with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
McConnell earlier in the week called Suu Kyi’s victory “the results of courage.”
After Clinton’s announcement, McConnell released a statement saying that while he was reviewing the policy, “I support in principle the decision to update the sanctions against the Burmese regime in light of this Sunday’s by-election.”
But the Kentucky senator also added a note of caution: “The Burmese government has taken many positive steps of late but still has much to do, including ensuring that violence against the Kachin and other ethnic minorities ceases, as well as ending the Burmese military relationship with North Korea.”
You will recall that McConnell visited Myanmar in January and had an emotional first meeting with Suu Kyi. He also met with Burmese government officials to discuss ongoing reforms and an end to violence against ethnic groups.
Those steps were in response to the April 1 elections in Myanmar, also known as Burma, in which pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, won nearly all of the 44 seats they contested in parliament.
Suu Kyi’s victory has been seen as a major sign of progress in political reforms in a nation that has been ruled for decades by a military regime.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has been critical of the Obama administration on many fronts, offered an initial positive response to Clinton’s latest moves to normalize relations with Myanmar.
McConnell has been one of the most vocal supporters of Suu Kyi in Congress and has co-sponsored annual sanctions legislation against Myanmar with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
McConnell earlier in the week called Suu Kyi’s victory “the results of courage.”
After Clinton’s announcement, McConnell released a statement saying that while he was reviewing the policy, “I support in principle the decision to update the sanctions against the Burmese regime in light of this Sunday’s by-election.”
But the Kentucky senator also added a note of caution: “The Burmese government has taken many positive steps of late but still has much to do, including ensuring that violence against the Kachin and other ethnic minorities ceases, as well as ending the Burmese military relationship with North Korea.”
You will recall that McConnell visited Myanmar in January and had an emotional first meeting with Suu Kyi. He also met with Burmese government officials to discuss ongoing reforms and an end to violence against ethnic groups.
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