Rangoon (Mizzima) – Some of Burma’s major industrial leaders told the Asean secretary-general that international economic sanctions are a major obstacle in the path of Burma’s economic development.
Members of Burma’s Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) met with the Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, who is on a fact-finding trip to Burma.“Burma is like a plane ready to leave the ground and begin to fly,” said Maung Maung Lay, the UMFCCI vice chairman. “But while it is gathering momentum, a strong wind is roaring against it. But the plane, Myanmar, has at least decided to take off and fly.”
The participants told Surin that the 2014 Asean Summit to be hosted by Burma is very important for its development and the western sanctions should be lifted in the current period to improve the lives of Burmese citizens.
Chairman Win Aung said that international entrepreneurs who want to invest in Burma and can create jobs have encountered difficulties because of the sanctions. He said 95 per cent of Burma’s businesses are small and medium businesses, and they need investment, technology and help from international countries.
In February, the National League for Democracy (NLD), the main opposition party, reaffirmed its stance that economic sanctions on Burma should be lifted only after the new government has demonstrated progress and change toward real democracy and human rights.
The economic hardships the country faces are not due to the economic sanctions imposed by Western countries, but result from of the misguided and inept policies of the ruling government and widespread corruption, according to a statement issued by the NLD.
“Western countries should consider lifting their sanctions only after progress has been seen in these areas. They have their own laws in this regard. We continue to support the sanctions”, NLD leader Win Tin told Mizzima.
Despite growing criticisms inside and outside Burma that the sanctions are not effective, the NLD statement said they are a serious challenge to the military-dominated government that oppresses the people and abuses human rights and democratic principles.
The current sanctions include the freezing of assets owned by targeted military officials and their business cronies, visa bans, trade sanctions and investment sanctions. Recently, both the U.S. and the E.U. lifted some sanctions as a reward for Burma’s moves toward democracy, but the most significant sanctions remain in place.
The fairness of the April 1 by-election will determine when and if more sanctions are lifted, say analysts.
