A U.S. congressional subcommittee will review on Tuesday legislation that would place limits on security assistance to Myanmar unless the country’s government demonstrates it is taking “concrete steps” on a number of human rights and pro-democracy fronts.
The Burma Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2014 would condition U.S. security assistance funds to Myanmar for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 to establishing civilian oversight of the military, publicly acknowledging human rights abuses committed by the armed forces, terminating military relations with North Korea and establishing a “fair, transparent and inclusive process to amend the constitution,” among several other requirements.
Included in the bill is a special note stressing that none of its contents should be construed as preventing U.S. disaster assistance for Myanmar.