US working to ease conflict in Myanmar
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his team are working to support dialogue and take other measures to ease the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, said State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Afreen Akhter.
"We're obviously very concerned about the security in the Indo-Pacific region and what is happening on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
"The secretary of state and his team are working to support dialogue and take other measures to ease the crisis [in Myanmar]," she said in an exclusive interview with private television channel Jamuna Television during her visit to Dhaka from February 24-26.
However, it remains unclear with whom the US is engaging in dialogue to promote stability in Myanmar.
Earlier on February 15, US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu said the situation in Myanmar could deepen security risks for Bangladesh and neighbouring regions including India in the coming days.
"It's something we've to watch out for and enable our partners in the region, in this case, Bangladesh and India, to cope with those stresses without it boiling over into instability in their countries as well," he had said at an event in Washington.
Afreen Akhter was part of a three-member US delegation which paid a three-day visit to Bangladesh. The delegation was led by President Biden's Special Assistant and National Security Council's Senior Director Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher. USAID Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer was also in the team.
In the interview that aired yesterday, Afreen said Bangladesh leads in the UN peacekeeping operations and the US wants to play a role in its further success.
She said the conflict in Myanmar is very unfortunate, and that the US will support Bangladesh in solving the Rohingya crisis.
On defence cooperation, Afreen said Dhaka and Washington have already worked quite a lot on joint military exercises, training and technology transfers. The US also provided Bangladesh with more than $100 million. The two countries are also working to conclude a defence deal -- "General Security of Military Information Agreement [GSOMIA]".
"Concluding GSOMIA and some other defence agreements will further improve our defence and security relations."
She said during their engagements with the government, members of the civil society, businesspersons and labour leaders, the US delegation highlighted the importance of a prosperous, secure and democratic Bangladesh.
On labour rights, Afreen said the US's global policy is to promote labour rights everywhere, and Bangladesh has no reason to worry about it. Instead must focus and work to improve the labour situation, including their right to trade unions, bargaining and better wages.
Instead, Dhaka should focus on improving the labour situation, and recognise their rights such as the formation of trade unions, and negotiation capabilities for better conditions, and wages.
About the hurdles that US companies face regarding investing in Bangladesh, she said there are already many US companies operating here. However, she recommended that the government address regulatory hurdles and streamline profit repatriation processes to create a more conducive environment for foreign investment.
US companies are eager to invest in the blue economy, energy exploration, renewable energy etc, she said.
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