Senior US lawmakers target Myanmar military with new sanctions

WASHINGTON - 3 November 2017: Senior US Republican and Democratic lawmakers proposed targeted sanctions and travel restrictions on Myanmar military officials over the treatment of the country's Rohingya Muslim minority, Voice of America reported Friday.

It re-imposes a ban on jade and rubies from Myanmar, requires a report on which individuals should be subjected to visa bans and targeted sanctions, and instructs the US Treasury Department to support only international financial assistance programs that do not partner with enterprises owned by the Myanmar military.

The US State Department announced on Thursday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would accompany Trump on his trip to Asia, but that Tillerson will also make a stop in Myanmar, also known as Burma.