Washington, Oct 28: The United States vowed to keep in place tough new economic sanctions against Myanmar and said it would consider additional penalties against its military leaders if human rights and other conditions did not improve. At the same time, however, the State Department said it could not yet determine whether the sanctions were working although it stressed that they were making an impact on the country's already fragile economy.

In its biannual report on the situation in Myanmar (Burma), the Department yesterday said Washington would continue to lobby other governments to impose similar sanctions on Yangon in a bid to force the junta to release detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and restore democracy. The report notes significant deterioration in conditions in Myanmar over the period it covers -- March 28 through September 27 -- particularly the May 30 attack on Aung San Suu Kyi's convoy and her subsequent detention by the state peace and development council.

In response, US President George W Bush in August imposed sweeping trade and travel sanctions against Myanmar, its leaders and their families and the department said those penalties would remain until the Junta reverses course. "These sanctions will be maintained until there is significant progress toward political transition or until a democratically elected government in Burma requests that they be lifted," it said.

Bureau Report