The US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved by voice
vote a bill that would halt Myanmar's rubies and jades from
entering the United States as part of sanctions against the
country's military government.
The bill also freezes the assets of Myanmar's political and
military leaders and prevent them or their immediate families from
using the US financial institutions via third countries, the House
said.
The Senate is also considering similar legislation. After both
floors of Congress approve an agreed version of the bill, President
George W. Bush will sign it into law.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Tuesday
that Myanmar has responded to the world's calls for an improved
human rights record "with empty gestures aimed only at gaining time
for it to reinforce the status quo."
The United States, which has long imposed a trade and investment
ban on Myanmar, has twice tightened sanctions since conflicts
between the country's military government and protestors in
September, during which eight protestors were reportedly shot dead
and 42 others injured in Yangon.
Bush signed an executive order on Sept. 27 to tighten sanctions,
freezing assets of 14 Myanmar's military government officials under
US jurisdiction and forbidding US citizens or groups to make
financial transactions with them.
The Bush administration released another round of sanctions on
Oct. 19 on Myanmar, including tighter restrictions on the export of
dual-use goods and computers to Myanmar, visa bans and asset
freezes on 11 of Myanmar's leaders.
(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2007)
