The looming US sanctions against Myanmar's military over the Rohingya crisis will have far-reaching consequences, according to a spokesperson for the country's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
Zaw Htay was quoted by Reuters as saying that apart from preventing Myanmar's government from sharing power with the military, the possible sanctions may be also fraught with economic repercussions.
"We need internal stability to improve the country's economy. Imposing international sanctions directly affects the people in travel and in business investments, and there are many negative consequences," Htay said.
Htay's remarks came just a day after Democratic US Senator Ben Cardin and Republican US Senator John McCain, introduced a bill imposing targeted sanctions and travel restrictions against Myanmar's military officials.
Earlier, Tillerson called for defusing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State, where Muslim insurgents of Rohingya origin attacked the country's security forces on August 25, 2017, re-igniting the Rohingya crisis.
In late October, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the US is withdrawing military assistance programs for Myanmar units and officers "involved in operations in northern Rakhine State."
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Following the attack, the Myanmar army launched a brutal crackdown, which led to a number of clashes and the death of hundreds of Rohingya people. At least 604,000 Rohingya Muslims have already fled Myanmar, crossing into neighboring Bangladesh, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
