Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) have jointly addressed a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power. The bipartisan appeal calls for a revitalized U.S. policy on Burma in light of the ongoing civil conflict.

The senators expressed concern over the potential for a prolonged stalemate, leading to a fragmented state in Burma. "As the risk rises of a prolonged stalemate in the conflict, resulting in a permanently fragmented state, it is imperative that the U.S. government has a comprehensive and forward-leaning strategy on Burma," they wrote.

The lawmakers emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership at this juncture, stating, "The United States has stood with the Burmese people for decades against this oppressive military regime, and we must not cede U.S. leadership at this critical inflection point."

In their letter, they urged reinvigorated diplomacy to unite pro-democracy groups and ethnic organizations essential for forming an inclusive democratic government in Burma. They called for continued engagement with traditional constituencies such as the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the National Unity Government (NUG), as well as ethnic organizations holding territory across the country.

Highlighting China's influence in the region, they noted that recent developments present opportunities for multilateral diplomacy involving ASEAN and key Indo-Pacific partners like Thailand, Japan, and India. They also stressed multilateral support for resistance groups and reconstruction efforts post-conflict.

The senators advocated revisiting sanctions on Burma and exploring new accountability measures targeting sectors like aviation fuel to maintain pressure on the junta. They praised cooperation with Singapore to limit weapons flow to the regime and expressed hope for similar efforts with other regional countries.

Concerns were also raised about insufficient implementation of non-lethal assistance provisions under the Burma Act by State Department and USAID. They argued that providing resistance groups with items such as medical equipment and body armor would offer additional protection from junta attacks.

Reaffirming Congress' willingness to collaborate strategically with administration officials, they concluded by emphasizing U.S. commitment to supporting Burma's aspirations for democracy: "We must not cede U.S. leadership at this critical inflection point but rather do everything in our power to support...a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous future."