The recently-introduced Senate version of the BRAVE Burma Act (S.3981) represents a powerful push by Congress to keep U.S. policy focused on promoting “the restoration of peace and a civilian-led government in Burma.” This bill showed clear bipartisanship through the co-sponsorship of Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN], Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY], and Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR].
Its provisions include language from the House versions of the BRAVE Burma Act, Burma GAP Act, and No New Burma Funds Act with some updates and refinements.
It extends the Burma Act of 2022 by an additional two years.
It puts additional pressure on the U.S. Administration to help cut off the supply of hard currency, arms, and jet fuel that the junta requires to stay in power. It calls for the Administration to impose further sanctions on MOGE, Myanma Economic Bank (MEB), and foreign companies operating in the jet fuel sector of Burma.
It places pressure on the World Bank not to assist the junta. It includes from the No New Burma Funds Act instructions for the U.S. to use its voice and vote at the World Bank to limit benefits to Burma as long as “the country is subject to the rule of the State Security and Peace Commission or any successor governing authority.”
Regarding the potential appointment of a Special Envoy for Burma, it puts certain limits on the Trump Administration designed to avoid a bad appointment and bad policy.
The bill requires that the envoy have rank of ambassador which would necessitate Senate confirmation this giving Congress the ability to reject any unqualified or inappropriate nominee.
The bill also sets clear objectives, duties, and responsibilities for any special envoy around “the restoration of peace and a civilian-led government in Burma,” including:
- developing and implementing a strategy of both U.S. and multinational sanctions, an arms embargo, and other pressure on the junta;
- engaging Burmese civil society, including the NUG and ethnic resistance revolutionary organizations;
- encouraging the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) to hold accountable perpetrators of atrocities against the Rohingya and other ethnic groups;
- supporting nongovernmental pro-democracy and humanitarian organizations.
Overall, the bill represents a powerful push by Congress to keep the Administration and overall U.S. policy towards focused on support for the people of Burma in their struggle against the military for a restoration of democracy and human rights in their country.