Blinken vows ‘firm action’ against Burma military amid crackdown on protesters

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took to Twitter on Sunday to vow “firm action” against the Burmese military amid its crackdown on demonstrators lashing out against the coup that occurred earlier this month.

The unrest in the country is increasing as sporadic strikes have occurred in the rail and shipping sectors. Some residents have slowed rail shipments by staging protests on rail tracks. They call the military intervention illegitimate and an affront on the democratically elected government. The U.S. influence on the country, however, is not as significant as countries like Singapore and China, so the threat of sanctions may not be as effective as they would be in other countries. Janet Yellen, the U.S. treasury secretary, said that the sanctions imposed on the Burmese military "are just the first" if the aggression continues against peaceful protesters, Reuters reported.