Blinken says US weighing new sanctions on Myanmar

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration is weighing tough new sanctions on Myanmar to pressure the country’s military leaders to restore a democratic path interrupted by a February coup. Blinken said the administration is also looking very closely as designating ongoing repression against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim population as a “genocide.” Blinken made the comments on Wednesday in Malaysia, where he is on the second leg of a three-nation trip to Southeast Asia. His Malaysian counterpart said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations must also act, saying the regional grouping must do some “soul-searching” about its policy toward member Myanmar.