US President George Bush in his speech at the UN on Tuesday will announce additional sanctions on the Burmese military junta and urge other countries to support a process of political change in Burma, the White House said on Monday.
"He [Bush] is going to announce that there will be additional sanctions directed at key members of the regime, and those that provide financial support to them," National Security Adviser Stephen J Hadley told reporters in Washington on the eve of the crucial speech.
President Bush will make the current unrest in Burma the key focus of his speech at the 62nd Session of the UN General Assembly, Hadley said.
Without divulging details of the sanctions to be announced by Bush on Tuesday morning, Hadley said: "He's going to talk about a visa ban on key individuals associated with the negative activities of the regime, including their families."
Bush would also talk about the importance of continuing to support the humanitarian organizations that are trying to deal with the needs of the people of Burma on the ground, he said.
Observing that the US President would talk about the UN Declaration on Human Rights and America's commitment to it, Hadley said: "As part of this, he would talk about the importance of supporting the efforts of the various groups within Burma to advance the cause of freedom there."
Referring to the Buddhist monks leading the nationwide protest in Burma, Hadley said: "Our hope is to marry that internal pressure with some external pressure—coming from the United States, the United Nation, and really all countries committed to freedom—to try and force the regime into a change, and one that will lead to the release of all political prisoners and permit an evolution towards democracy and freedom in Burma."
Hadley said that a number of countries in the UN would join the US efforts.
"We will continue to be following this (protest) very closely and be looking to see what we can do to continue to press the regime to do the right thing, to engage with its people, and to certainly desist from any additional arrests or any harassment of these protesters or any other individuals in Burma who are simply seeking to express their views," the spokesman said.
"He [Bush] is going to announce that there will be additional sanctions directed at key members of the regime, and those that provide financial support to them," National Security Adviser Stephen J Hadley told reporters in Washington on the eve of the crucial speech.
President Bush will make the current unrest in Burma the key focus of his speech at the 62nd Session of the UN General Assembly, Hadley said.
Without divulging details of the sanctions to be announced by Bush on Tuesday morning, Hadley said: "He's going to talk about a visa ban on key individuals associated with the negative activities of the regime, including their families."
Bush would also talk about the importance of continuing to support the humanitarian organizations that are trying to deal with the needs of the people of Burma on the ground, he said.
Observing that the US President would talk about the UN Declaration on Human Rights and America's commitment to it, Hadley said: "As part of this, he would talk about the importance of supporting the efforts of the various groups within Burma to advance the cause of freedom there."
Referring to the Buddhist monks leading the nationwide protest in Burma, Hadley said: "Our hope is to marry that internal pressure with some external pressure—coming from the United States, the United Nation, and really all countries committed to freedom—to try and force the regime into a change, and one that will lead to the release of all political prisoners and permit an evolution towards democracy and freedom in Burma."
Hadley said that a number of countries in the UN would join the US efforts.
"We will continue to be following this (protest) very closely and be looking to see what we can do to continue to press the regime to do the right thing, to engage with its people, and to certainly desist from any additional arrests or any harassment of these protesters or any other individuals in Burma who are simply seeking to express their views," the spokesman said.
The State Department urged the regime to exercise restraint against protestors, avoid the use of force and release all political prisoners.
