President Joe Biden will be facing his first test in foreign policy over a country that was never expected to generate as much controversy as it did Sunday night.
In Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, the military announced late Sunday that it had taken control of the country for a year and detained its civilian leaders — chief among them Aung San Suu Kyi, the symbol of Myanmar's independence worldwide for decades who is now one of the country's top elected leaders as state counselor.
Biden, who as vice president developed a warm relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi, was on the situation in Myanmar Sunday night.
"The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, "and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed."
Already the U.S. imposed Global Magnitsky sanctions against the senior military officials in Myanmar over human rights abuses. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the military and overseer of Sunday's crackdown, is himself a target of Magnitsky sanctions, which ban him from traveling to the U.S. or doing business in this country.
As to what Biden will do next in dealing with a radically changed situation in Myanmar is likely to be laid out in the coming week.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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