Wednesday, February 8, 2012The US has eased one of the sanctions it levels against Myanmar amid a series of political reforms in the country.
The partial waiver, signed on Monday, will allow Myanmar to receive limited technical assistance from international financial institutions.
The move came on the same day that the elections commission affirmed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's candidacy to run in a by-election.
According to the US state department, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton signed a partial waiver of restrictions under the "Trafficking Victims Protection Act "in response to encouraging reforms under way in that country.
This would allow institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to conduct assessment missions in the country.
Other US sanctions against Myanmar, however, remain in place.
Suu Kyi - a Nobel Peace laureate who spent years under house arrest - is seeking office in the rural township of Kawhmu, southwest of Rangoon.
"There is no objection to her nomination and we can say that her candidacy is officially accepted,'' said Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, as quoted by the Associated Press news agency.
The NLD is contesting all available parliamentary seats in the upcoming by-elections.
The NLD boycotted the elections in November 2010 that saw a military junta replaced with a military-backed nominally civilian government.
The partial waiver, signed on Monday, will allow Myanmar to receive limited technical assistance from international financial institutions.
The move came on the same day that the elections commission affirmed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's candidacy to run in a by-election.
According to the US state department, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton signed a partial waiver of restrictions under the "Trafficking Victims Protection Act "in response to encouraging reforms under way in that country.
This would allow institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to conduct assessment missions in the country.
Other US sanctions against Myanmar, however, remain in place.
Suu Kyi - a Nobel Peace laureate who spent years under house arrest - is seeking office in the rural township of Kawhmu, southwest of Rangoon.
"There is no objection to her nomination and we can say that her candidacy is officially accepted,'' said Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, as quoted by the Associated Press news agency.
The NLD is contesting all available parliamentary seats in the upcoming by-elections.
The NLD boycotted the elections in November 2010 that saw a military junta replaced with a military-backed nominally civilian government.
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