Biden administration officially declares military takeover in Burma a 'coup,' triggering review of US foreign aid - USA TODAY

Deirdre Shesgreen   | USA TODAY

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WASHINGTON – The State Department has officially determined that the military takeover in Burma – almost known as Myanmar – was a “coup d’etat.”  

That formal determination, announced by a State Department official on Tuesday, will trigger a review of US foreign assistance to the country. However, the impact of the official “coup” label may be minimal because humanitarian aid is exempt and other US limits are already in place on Myanmar’s military.

On Monday, Myanmar’s military seized control of the government and detained the country’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, along with Myanmar President U Win Myint and other deputies.

“After a careful review of the facts and circumstances, we have assessed that Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's ruling party, and Win Myint, the duly elected head of government, were deposed in a military coup on February 1,” said a State Department official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.

“We continue to call on the Burmese military leadership to release them and all other detainees, civil society and political leaders immediately and unconditionally,” the official added.

On Monday, President Joe Biden denounced the military takeover as "a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy" and suggested the US might impose sanctions in response to the developments. 

He noted that the US had lifted sanctions on Burma over the past decade as it took steps toward democracy. "The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action," the president said.

Congress appropriated about $135 million in foreign aid for Burma during fiscal year 2020, and the State Department has requested about $108 million for 2021, according to government figures.

But the State Department official suggested that much of that money is devoted to humanitarian assistance, democracy reforms and other initiatives exempt from the restrictions triggered by a coup. Almost no US money goes to the Burmese government; instead it flows to civil society groups and other organizations, the official said.

In 2017, the US imposed sanctions on Burmese officials that human rights group say were involved in committing atrocities against the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group. 

Human Rights Watch and other groups have said the Burmese military subjected the Rohingya to forced deportations, summary executions, systematic mass rape, and torture. The UN called the persecution "ethnic cleansing" and estimates that it led to the displacement of over 700,000 Rohingya.

More: Myanmar military coup: What it means for Aung San Suu Kyi, Joe Biden and democracy

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2021-02-02 17:53:29Z