Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia]: The United States is looking at more action against Myanmar’s junta to press its generals to return the country to a democratic path, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday. “The situation has not improved,” Kyodo News quoted Blinken as saying at a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah in Malaysia. “I think it’s going to be very important in the weeks and months ahead to look at what additional steps and measures we can take individually, collectively to pressure the regime to put the country back on a democratic trajectory,” he said. Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on dozens of people and entities in Myanmar. Following a February military coup that ousted a democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, Washington has so far focused on imposing sanctions on Myanmar military officials and their family members as well as military-related entities, Kyodo News reported. According to the Japanese news agency, Blinken said the United States is also looking “very actively” at whether Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya ethnic minority group constituted genocide, a determination that could allow Washington to push for more actions. Malaysia is the second leg of Blinken’s first trip to Southeast Asia since US President Joe Biden took office in January. The visit comes as Washington is seeking deeper engagement in Southeast Asia amid heightened rivalry with China. Meanwhile, Blinken confirmed at the press conference that Biden has invited ASEAN leaders to a special summit next year, Kyodo News reported.
