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I was heartened to read that the United States has taken concrete steps to confront the repressive military junta of Myanmar ("U.S. moves to punish Myanmar regime," Feb. 6). This is indeed encouraging; for far too long, the plight of the citizens of Myanmar has been ignored by the governments of the world.
Unfortunately, the course of economic sanctions chosen by the Treasury Department will not provide the relief the people of Myanmar desperately need.
One need only look to Cuba, whose government remains strong after decades of sanctions, or North Korea, where Kim Jong Il continues to terrorize his people while living in the lap of luxury, for proof of the ineffectiveness of sanctions.
The time has come to abandon economic sanctions for the ineffectual waste that they are, and move to a system that rewards compliance with internationally recognized standards rather than doling out punishment for misbehavior - punishment that is far too easily shifted onto innocent children and the victims of repression and abuse that these sanctions are designed to protect.
Ross F. Gearllach
Arlington,Va.
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