During a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, Obama promised to ease sanctions against Myanmar. Businesses will benefit, but not those who are victims of human rights violations.
United States President Barack Obama has promised to complete the removal of sanctions against Myanmar (Burma). The announcement, made during a bilateral meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi on 14 September, follows the leader's latest landslide victory in the November elections and the country's transition towards democracy, after 50 years of military dictatorship.
For Obama and for Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the National League for Democracy (NLD) and is the country's de facto leader, removing the restrictions would mean increased trade between the two countries and would help stimulate growth in one of South-East Asia's poorest nations.
The decision marks a turning point in relations between the two countries, which were almost non-existent until five years ago, as well as for Aung San Suu Kyi, who had until recently supported the sanctions as a way to put pressure on the armed forces that had governed the country and that still hold a considerable share of power.
"Unity also requires prosperity, because when people have to argue over limited resources they forget how important it is to remain united," Aung San Suu Kyi said during her visit to Washington. "We want to make sure our people are better off economically in order to strengthen our politics."
Burma's businesses, many of which are on the United States blacklist due to their ties with the armed forces, welcomed the announcement with enthusiasm. Human rights defenders reacted differently, expressing concern over the democratisation process and human rights. Indeed, Aung San Suu Kyi is facing growing criticism for her passivity in the face of the plight of the Rohingya. The Muslim minority, which is not officially recognised as an ethnic group, faces discrimination and violence in Burma.
Others, meanwhile, see Obama's move as an attempt to weaken China's regional influence — China having backed the military power and holding the country's main investments.
"This adds to the premature and reckless removal of sanctions against senior military officials, military-linked companies and crony capitalists," Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, told the New York Times. "The tipping point for Myanmar came when US realpolitik interests and considerations regarding China triumphed over human rights and the rule of law."
Many people, both inside and outside Myanmar, will nonetheless be keeping a close eye on Aung San Suu Kyi's next moves, as she works to fulfil her promise of democratisation and national reconciliation in the country.
Translated by Camilla Soldati