國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
Appendix II: Chronology of Myanmar’s Bilateral Relations the U.S.
(1988-2013) 1998
September 5: In the wake of a nationwide pro-democracy uprising, U.S. Congressman Stephen J. Solarz, the chairman of the house representative sub-committee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, visited Myanmar and met with President Maung Maung and Aung San Suu Kyi.
September 23: The Regan administration responded to a Burmese military crackdown by starting the gradual progress of sanctions on Myanmar which included suspending counternarcotics programs and stopping all arms sales.
November 27: U.S. Representative-Elect Dana Rohrabacher travelled to Thay Baw Bo student camp near the Burmese-Thai border and promised moral and political support to exiles that have fled the military government crackdown on student protest.
1990
August 23: The administration of George H. W. Bush imposed a range of economic, financial and travel sanctions against Myanmar as the response to the SLORC’s election result refusal. Later on, Washington downgraded its levels of diplomatic representation from Ambassador to Charge d’ Affaires and also refused to renew the bilateral textile agreement with Naypyidaw by the end of the year.
1933
February 9: U.S. Congressman Bill Archer, ranking minority member of the House Ways and Means Committee arrived at the invitation of the Myanmar Foreign Ministry and welcomed by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Nyunt Swe. He was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Sharon Archer, by Congresswoman Nancy L. Johnson and her husband, Dr. Theodore Johnson, and by President Richard G, Quick and Executive Director Marsha P. Lefkovits of the Far East Studies Institute.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
1994
February 14: U.S. Congressman Bill Richardson was allowed to visit Aung San Suu Kyi at her house where she was detained. Richardson gave Aung San Suu Kyi a letter from President Bill Clinton.
1995
September 2: The U.S. ambassador to the UN (and later secretary of state), Madeleine Albright visited Myanmar and met with Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Albright urged the Burmese government to take concrete steps toward political freedom and democracy, or the country would face continued isolation.
1997
May 20: The Clinton administration consolidated the sanctions against Myanmar by prohibiting new investment in the country by the U.S. individuals or entities. The exemption included U.S. firm, UNOCAL, and its investment with French Corp., Total, in natural gas exploration and pipeline offshore and across Myanmar into Thailand.
Additionally, the U.S. countermeasures on the country due to its inadequate measures to eliminate money laundering and restricted issuing visas for certain Burmese military officers and their families.
July 23: The U.S. was strongly opposed Myanmar’s accession to ASEAN. However, the country with its neighboring country, Laos, was accepted to the bloc.
1999
May 12: SPDC Secretary-1 Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt received the PRC envoy Liang Dong and the U.S. Charge d’ Affaires at the Defence Ministry’s Dagon House. The meeting was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win, Director General of Foreign Ministry’s Protocol Department Thura Aung Htet and responsible personnel.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
2003
July 28: Following the brutal Depayin Incident on May 30, the Bush administration imposed new sanctions on Myanmar. The restriction extension included ban on import products from Myanmar and the export financial services to the country, freezing the assets of military junta and three designated Burmese foreign trade financial institutions.
The sanctions also required U.S. government to vote against the extension of any financial assistance to Myanmar by international financial institutions.
2005
January 19: Condoleezza Rice, later succeeded Colin Powell as secretary of state, named Myanmar as one of six “outposts of tyranny” in the world.
2007
September 25-27: Bush administration expanded sanctions against Myanmar as a result of brutal crackdown against the massive anti-government protest in the city of Yangon.
Asset freezes were imposed against individual designated as responsible for human rights abuses and public corruption and individuals and entities that provide financial or material support to those designated.
2008
April 30: President Bush signed Executive Order 13464, which further expanded sanctions to permit asset freezes against designated Burmese entities. Approximately, individuals and entities were designated for asset freezes under these authorities.
May 2: Cyclone Nargis made landfall on Myanmar, causing destruction and mass casualties along the Irrawaddy delta and the southern parts of the country. The Myanmar authorities hesitated to accept foreign aid in the first days of the catastrophe but eventually opened the country to controlled international relief.
May 6: President Bush signed into law H.R.4286 that “awards a congressional gold medal to Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her courageous and unwavering
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Myanmar after the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously in favours of the resolution.
May 12: The U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized unlimited remittances to Myanmar as necessary aid following Cyclone Nargis.
July 30: President Bush signed into law the Burma Jade Act restricting the import of precious Burmese gems and stones, extended existing import restrictions and added 10 Burmese companies to the sanction list.
August 2008: President Bush hosted a private lunch for 9 Thailand-based Burmese exiles at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. The discussion covered U.S. sanctions, humanitarian aid after Cyclone Nargis and China-Myanmar relations. During the same trip, the First Lady Laura Bush visited the Mae Tao Clinic in the Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot and the Mae La refugee camp.
May 2009: Two weeks before Aung San Suu Kyi’s scheduled release, an American citizen, John Yettaw, swam into the opposition leader’s residence. Yettaw was charged on illegally entering a restricted zone, illegal swimming and breaking immigration laws by the Burmese authorities, and he was sentenced seven-year hard labor. The illegal visit resulted in another 18-month detention of Aung San Suu Kyi.
August 15: The U.S. Democrat Senator Jim Webb became the most senior official from Washington meeting with Sr. Gen. Than Shwe. On the same trip, Webb also successfully negotiated with the junta to free John Yettaw and met with Aung San Suu Kyi, who was still being held under a house arrest.
November 4: As part of a broad policy review announced by the Obama administration opting for a balance between economic sanctions and “pragmatic engagement” and for augmenting contacts with the higher levels of the Myanmar military, U.S. senior diplomat, Kurt Campbell, arrived in Myanmar and met with Prime Minister Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
2010
February 11: The U.S. government and law makers urged the Burmese government to immediately release the U.S. human rights activist, Kyaw Zaw Lwin, after being arrested at Rangoon airport on the trip to visit his mother.
March 22: The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok announced that the current Burmese election law must be amended otherwise the scheduled 2010 election would hardly be regarded as free, fair or credible.
May 15: President Obama announced to extend the national emergency against Myanmar, which was first imposed during the Clinton administration, for one more year.
June 3: The U.S. Senator Jim Webb cancelled his plan to Myanmar as there was allegation that the Burmese military government was pursuing nuclear capability with North Korea collaboration. Later on, the U.S. accusation was strongly denied by the Burmese Foreign Ministry.
June 14: The State Department’s 10th annual review of global effort to eliminate the human trafficking listed 13 countries including Myanmar on notice that they were not complying with minimum international standards and could face U.S. penalty.
July 28: President Obama signed into law a congressional resolution renewing economic sanctions against the Burmese military regime after the overwhelming votes by the U.S.
House of Representatives and the Senate.
September 25: In the meeting with the ASEAN leaders during the United Nations Assembly in New York, President Obama urged the Burmese leadership to embark on a process of national reconciliation by releasing all political prisoners.
November 10: President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton strongly condemned the November 7 election in Myanmar that it was neither free nor fair and failed to meet any of the internationally accepted standards associated with legitimate elections.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
2011
May 18: The U.S. Deputy Assistance Secretary of State Joseph Yun made a four-day trip to Myanmar for introductory meetings with members of Myanmar’s new government.
September 9: The U.S. special representative and policy coordinator for Myanmar, Derek Mitchell, made his first visit to Myanmar and met with top government officials and Aung San Suu Kyi.
September 30: The Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin visited the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department in Washington meeting U.S. senior officials.
October 24: The U.S. special envoy, Derek Mitchell, made his second visit to Myanmar to talk with Burmese government officials.
November 30: The Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a landmark visit to Myanmar meeting with President Thein Sein, Aung San Suu Kyi, civil society activists and representatives of ethnic minorities. According to Clinton, the U.S. would support enhanced cooperation between international financial institutions and Myanmar, as well as intensified UN health, micro-finance and counter-narcotics programs in the country. It is also announced that Washington offered Naypyidaw a US$ 1.2 million humanitarian aid and also supported American universities and foundations to increase academic exchange collaboration in health, governance and other matters.
2012
August 21: The U.S. government welcomed Myanmar’s announcement that it had ended press censorship; however, Washington also urged Naypyidaw to abolish its censorship board.
August 27: American professional basketball players and coaches were sent to Myanmar to boost cultural ties between the two countries.
August 30: The U.S. government announced to waive a visa ban against Myanmar.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
August 31: Patrick Ventrell, U.S. State Department spokesman urged China to offer temporary protection to Kachin refugees who fled conflict in northern Myanmar and not force them back.
September 27: During the 67th United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Secretary of State Clinton announced that Washington already begun the process of easing restrictions on imports of Burmese goods into the country and offered humanitarian aid for resolving Myanmar’s ethnic issues.
October 5: Aung San Suu Kyi made a historic 17-day trip to the U.S. receiving several awards including the highest civilian award of the U.S. Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal, and met with President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, prominent lawmakers, celebrities, former presidents and the members of the Burmese community in the U.S.
October 8: President Obama signed into law a bill allowing his administration to support the assistance being provided to Myanmar by the World Bank and IMF.
October 15: Twenty-two senior U.S. military officials including Lt. Gen. Francis Wiercinski, head of the U.S. Army’s Pacific Command visited Myanmar.
October 26: The U.S. urged all parties including Burmese government to immediately take step to halt ongoing communal violence in Arakan State, and announced an additional humanitarian contribution of US$ 2.73 million for the displaced person in the region.
November 19: Alongside Secretary of State Clinton, President Obama made a six-hour visit to Myanmar during his Southeast Asian trip. He met with the Burmese President Thein Sein, Aung San Suu Kyi and civil-society activists and gave a speech at the University of Yangon.
November 20: Nine American academic institutions planned to develop institutional partnerships with universities in Myanmar under an initiative launched by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
November 30: North Korean ship’s cargo bounded for Myanmar with materials suitable for uranium enrichment or missile development was seized by the Japanese authorities.
The U.S. Republican senator, Richard Lugar wrote to President Thein Sein of Myanmar urging him to disclose the intended recipient of the materials and their planned use.
December 12-18: Acting Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Myanmar W.
Patrick Murphy visited Myanmar meeting with Burmese government officials and ethnic and civil society leaders and attending an anti-human trafficking event (EXIT) organized by MTV.
December 18: The U.S. ambassador made his first official visit to Kachin State meeting local leader and seeking to improve aid efforts for displaced refugees in the fighting areas.
2013
January 3: The UN and the U.S. expressed a deep concern over the conflict between Burmese government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and urged the government to stop air strike on the rebels.
January 17: The U.S. officials, a representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Myanmar’s Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of Atomic Energy discussed the International Safeguards and the Additional Protocol.
February 5: The U.S. ambassador, Derek Mitchell invited 5 Arakan leaders to discuss the state’s ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yangon.
February 22: The U.S. government human right negotiator met with Aung San Suu Kyi and Burmese officials to discuss the country’s political reforms.
February 25: The U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license to the Myanmar Economic Bank, Myanma Investment and Commercial bank, and Asia Green Development Bank and Ayeyarwady Bank allowing to conduct financial transaction in the U.S.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
March 8-9: Rajiv Shah, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) visited Myanmar to strengthen a US$ 170 million U.S.-Myanmar Partnership Program set up in November 2012 which promoted development, human rights, democracy and peace in Myanmar.
March 13: The U.S. government announced in disapproving Burmese police using smoke bombs containing phosphorus to control demonstrations.
March 28: The U.S. Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Rick Barton visited Myanmar and offered an aid for Myanmar’s landmine-affected areas along its border as a result of long-running ethnic conflict.
March 29: The U.S. provided US$ 100,000 in aid to help residents displaced after sectarian violence in the central Myanmar city of Meikhtila.
April 3: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter paid a visit to Myanmar meeting top government officials in Naypyidaw.
April 24: The Chinese state media reported the U.S. welcomed the release of 50 political prisoners.
April 29: Former top U.S. diplomat arrived in Naypyidaw to lobby for a huge contact to overhaul Yangon’s international airport. The visit was welcomed by Burmese Vice President Nyan Tun and several deputy ministers.
May 3: The Obama administration extended by one year the president’s authority to re-impose tough sanctions against Myanmar in order to prevent backsliding on democratic reforms. However, the administration has also eased U.S. visa restrictions on Myanmar’s former military regime as a reward of the recent political reforms.
May 20: President Thein Sein has become the first Myanmar’s president to visit the White House in 47 years. The President told his American audiences that Myanmar needed “maximum international support, including from the U.S., to train and educate, share knowledge, trade and invest, and encourage others to do the same ” while President
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
Obama promised American backing for the Burmese government’s reform. A member of Burmese delegation in this official visit, Myanmar’s Energy Minister Than Htay signed an agreement on cooperation in implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) with the U.S. special envoy for international energy affairs, Carlos Pascual. In addition, the U.S. agreed to help Myanmar to repair some of the main infrastructure of country’s transportation sector.
June 3: Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright paid a five-day visit to Myanmar and told the leaders of Myanmar’s political parties that the National Democratic Institute (NDI) was willing to assist the country in its on-going transition to democracy.
June 10: Lower House Speaker and Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) Chairman Shwe Mann paid a goodwill visit to the U.S. at the invitation of the House of Representative Speaker and Republican Leader John Boehner.
June 28: An agreement on economic cooperation between Myanmar and the U.S. which included assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) providing US$ 170 million for Myanmar was signed.
July 3: The U.S. blacklisted Myanmar’s former Minister for Border Affairs Lt. Gen.
Thein Htay who was accused by the U.S. government in violating a UN Security Council ban on buying military goods from North Korea.
July 25: The U.S. government announced that it would pledge e a US$ 500, 000 million fund to preserve Myanmar’s historical Mandalay’s Shwe Nan Daw Kyang Monastery.
August 1: The U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell, alongside a close advisor to the U.S. President Ben Rhodes, announced that the U.S. would boost military ties with Myanmar. The military engagement mainly focused on human rights issues.
August 2: The U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke at the Congress that Myanmar should amend its undemocratic 2008 constitution, reform and reduce the political of its military and establish an independent judiciary.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a
tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
Source: The Irrawaddy; Archives; “News Archives on Burma” (2001-2013); Arnott (2001); Seekins (2009; Contemporary Southeast Asia (2010); Seekins (2010); Steinberg and Fan (2012).