US Demands Release of all Burmese Political Prisoners

By LALIT K JHA

WASHINGTON — The US State Department on Monday welcomed the Burmese regime’s release of some political prisoners in Saturday’s amnesty but added: “A lot more needs to be done.”

"The release of any political prisoners is something we would welcome, but a lot more needs to be done," said State Department Acting Spokesman Robert Wood. "We call on the Burmese to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi. We'll have to see if indeed this leads to more releases."

Wood confirmed that Washington is reviewing its Burma policy in order to assess the best approach to achieve its goals. "We're trying to figure out a way to better influence the behavior of the regime, particularly with regard to political prisoners," he said.

Wood drew reporters’ attention to recent statements on the subject by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "You know, as the Secretary has said, sanctions really haven't worked."

Wood said Clinton and all at the State Department were “frustrated [that] things have not progressed the way we'd like to have seen them progress."

During her just concluded Asia tour, Clinton said the sanctions adopted by the Bush administration against Burma had not worked. "Sanctions aren't working and others in the world who have tried to deal with the Burmese regime can't figure out how to engage them, so we're going to have a policy review about Burma," she told reporters in Seoul.

Wood told Monday’s Washington press briefing that there were other aspects of the Bush administration’s Burma policy, and also of the international community’s approach, that had not worked.

"We need to find a way to make our policy effective, and we're going to be looking for ways to try to do that," Wood said, adding this would be done in consultation with Washington’s allies, the UN and others.

"We've got to try to figure out a way to move the Burmese Government in the direction that we want them to move in. You know, it's something the Secretary [Clinton] cares very deeply about," Wood said.

During her Asia tour, Clinton commented on the Burma issue several times. At one discussion with journalists, she said: "How we can try to help the people of Burma deal with the terrible human rights violations that go on there every day and the political prisoners, and Aung San Sui Kyi's valiant struggle for freedom and democracy—what will work?"