U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States will maintain sanctions against Burma due to the lack of improvement in it human rights record and or progress toward democracy.
Mr. Powell told U.S. lawmakers Wednesday that Washington will continue to pressure Burma's military government to release pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from virtual house arrest.
Last July, President Bush signed into law legislation barring Burmese imports from entering the United States. The import ban must be renewed each year and expires after three years.
Burma's military government arrested Aung San Suu Kyi after a clash between opposition supporters and a pro-government mob in northern Burma last May. The Nobel laureate was detained in a secret location until she went to a hospital for surgery in September. She then was allowed to go home, where she remains under virtual house arrest.
Information for this report is provided by Reuters.