AP, Washington :
Human rights advocates and some lawmakers say the United States is sending the wrong signal by opening the door for broader engagement with Myanmar’s widely criticized military just weeks after President Barack Obama assured opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi that closer ties weren’t going to happen soon.
Congress, acting at the administration’s request, is allowing U.S. training in some noncombat activities for the military in Myanmar, also known as Burma. It is part of a sweeping defense policy bill that passed Friday.
The administration says this does not mean closer ties are imminent with a military known for rights abuses. Patrick Ventrell, a National Security Council spokesman, said the provision would “give us the flexibility to pursue slightly broader engagement if the military takes steps to implement reforms and support Burma’s democratic transition.”
Human rights advocates and some lawmakers say the United States is sending the wrong signal by opening the door for broader engagement with Myanmar’s widely criticized military just weeks after President Barack Obama assured opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi that closer ties weren’t going to happen soon.
Congress, acting at the administration’s request, is allowing U.S. training in some noncombat activities for the military in Myanmar, also known as Burma. It is part of a sweeping defense policy bill that passed Friday.
The administration says this does not mean closer ties are imminent with a military known for rights abuses. Patrick Ventrell, a National Security Council spokesman, said the provision would “give us the flexibility to pursue slightly broader engagement if the military takes steps to implement reforms and support Burma’s democratic transition.”
