Biden warns of reimposing US sanctions on Myanmar after military coup

U.S. President Joe Biden on Feb. 1 warned of reinstating sanctions on Myanmar, where the military has seized power and detained the country's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other senior politicians.

Biden condemned the coup staged by Myanmar's military and its declaration of a national state of emergency, calling them a "direct assault on the country's transition to democracy and the rule of law." Biden called on the military to relinquish power and release the detained politicians.

"The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy," Biden said in a statement, referring to the country's former name. "The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action."

Myanmar's military is taking over the country for a year due to the government's failure to act on claims of fraud in the November 2020 elections, the Associated Press reported. In a landslide victory, Suu Kyi's political party captured a parliamentary majority in the elections.