Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Bush OKs new sanctions on Myanmar

|
|
 
  
Published: July 29, 2008 at 11:26 AM

WASHINGTON, July 29 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush Tuesday signed legislation imposing new sanctions and extending current sanctions on Myanmar for human rights violations.

"Our message is, the United States believes in democracy and freedom," Bush said in signing the measure. "Not only will I sign the joint resolution, I'm also looking forward to signing the Tom Lantos Block Burmese Jade Act of 2008."

Lantos, a Holocaust survivor who participated in the resistance in Hungary, was a California Democratic congressman who championed human rights. He died earlier this year

The Tom Lantos Block Burmese Jade Act of 2008 blocks the import of all jade and rubies from Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma, into the United States -- both raw materials and finished jewelry.

The repressive Myanmar regime earned $300 million in 2006 from jade and rubies, $100 million of which entered the United States, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee estimated.

Sapphire, peridot, spinel and other gem materials also found in Myanmar are not mentioned in the bill, Jewelers Circular Keystone reported.

Topics: George Bush
Recommended Stories
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 20
Syrian protests continue
View Caption
fark
Survey finds that men are quick to fall in love, roll over and fall asleep
Nerdiest sport ever: Combat juggling
Photoshop this topless athlete
Man rejects girlfriend's noodles, says toodles by leaving her in poodle of blood. Oodles of boodle...
Mormons tried to posthumously baptize Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel but were...
School principals should probably have background checks processed on them before they are hired...or...