Of Bills and Sanctions

Episode #378: Simon Billenness, director of Campaign for a New Myanmar, draws on thirty years of advocacy to explain the mechanics and challenges of U.S. policy toward Myanmar. He begins by discussing the recent removal of sanctions on junta-linked individuals, which he believes reflects corporate lobbying rather than signaling a coherent strategy or change in overall policy. In fact, he says, that action contrasts sharply with Congressional progress on three Myanmar-related bills that punish the junta: the Brave Burma Act (targeting junta-linked financial entities), the No New Funds for Burma Act (blocking World Bank disbursements), and the GAP Act (expanding atrocity accountability and refugee aid).

He characterizes this dissonance as just another manifestation of the unpredictable, “whipsaw” nature of current U.S. foreign policy. But despite this volatility, Billenness stresses that Congressional action and grassroots pressure are still the main forces influencing U.S. policy. His organization coordinates both grassroots outreach—mobilizing 19,000 U.S. supporters—and direct lobbying in Washington to push for action. He cites past success in pressuring the Clinton administration to ban new U.S. investments in Myanmar and argues that such efforts show “they don’t act on Burma unless there’s pressure from Congress.”

Billenness also warns of new challenges, such as the administration refusing to spend appropriated funds, and declining refugee resettlement. Still, he insists that advocacy works, pointing to past wins and urging Americans to act. “What we do matters,” he concludes. “It has been proven to change things for the better.”