U.S. Suspends Trade Relations With Myanmar As Violence Continues To Rise

US began trade relations with Myanmar in 2013 after the Aung San Su Kyi and her party made a landslide victory during the 2012 elections. 

File Photo

New Delhi: The Biden administration has decided to cut trade ties with Myanmar due to the ongoing violent protests with broke out on Feb 1st 2021. So far, the military forces has kills over 500 civilians. Last Saturday was one of the deadliest days yet after about 100 protesters were killed in a single day. 

According to a Reuters report, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the security forces to stop the killings meanwhile, the White House has called for the restoration of democracy and has condemned the killings of civilians.

US began trade relations with Myanmar in 2013 after the Aung San Su Kyi and her party made a landslide victory during the 2012 elections. 

According to a statement issued by the Office of United States Trade Representative OR USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai said, “The United States supports the people of Burma in their efforts to restore a democratically elected government, which has been the foundation of Burma’s economic growth and reform”. The statement further said, “The United States strongly condemns the Burmese security forces’ brutal violence against civilians. The killing of peaceful protestors, students, workers, labor leaders, medics, and children has shocked the conscience of the international community. These actions are a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and the efforts of the Burmese people to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future.”

Aung San Suu Kyi is at an undisclosed location in detention as well as other party members who remain in custody. 

While trade suspension is meant to target the junta/military forces in Myanmar but as protesters are struggling to keep their protest online due to the internet shut down, U.S. based companies that provide cloud services fall into a grey area. According to TechCrunch, these companies wrangle with the U.S. government order as it leaves millions of internet users across Myanmar in uncertainty.