Burma found itself the focus of fresh debate last month when President Bush signed into law economic sanctions designed to punish the regime’s leadership. The Burmese Government retaliated by saying the move would threaten the livelihoods of ordinary workers rather than achieve the aim of draining the junta’s resources. But targeted sanctions are growing in popularity in the international community, with pressure from UK members of parliament, the European Union (EU) and the Association of South East Asian Nations mounting.
In recent months, UK-based giant Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has come under domestic pressure to stop advising key client Malaysian oil giant Petronas on its operations in Burma.
