Responding to its continuing crackdown on human rights, the Trump administration should sanction the government of Myanmar.
The most recent incident of concern is the arrest, Tuesday, of two Reuters journalists. Media reports suggest the two men have been charged under national security laws for possessing military documents relating to Myanmar’s genocide against the Rohingya people.
Of course, the detention of two journalists pales in moral comparison to Myanmar’s ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people. Nearly one million Rohingya refugees have fled their native homelands in Myanmar in order to escape a vicious campaign of abuse and murder by the country’s military.
Yet, while Myanmar claims it takes the Rohingya human rights situation seriously, from its geriatric military leadership to the once-honored Aung San Suu Kyi, top officials are unwilling to stop the bloodletting. That Myanmar is now willing to persecute journalists from international media outlets is just the latest sign of its contempt for moral justice.
In response, President Trump should ask Congress to impose sanctions on top Myanmar officials. To send a message of conviction against Myanmar’s conduct, U.S. sanctions should also target Suu Kyi.
The U.S. should also work with European partners to see whether broader sanctions can be introduced on Myanmar’s tourism industry and with India, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand to see whether those nations might restrict their importation of Myanmar goods. This latter element would smash Myanmar’s economy in that those four nations are, alongside China, its top export destinations.
Regardless, aside from the moral necessity for action, the absence of exigent U.S. interests that might be jeopardized by Myanmar retaliation means President Trump has no “America First” rationale against taking action. While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has led the international community in politely challenging Myanmar to change its behavior, it’s now clear that the conciliatory approach hasn’t worked.
Somewhat unfairly, President Trump has a reputation for not caring about Muslim well-being. This is a terrific and straightforward opportunity to prove otherwise.
