Czech foreign minister to push for sanctions against Burmese military junta

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout said on Friday the Czech Republic would push for clear, strong and targeted EU sanctions against the Burmese military junta in an effort to obtain the release of the country’s political prisoners. Minister Kohout on Friday received a petition in support of the release of Burmese political prisoners signed by 5,000 Czechs. He pledged to push for sanctions at a meeting of EU foreign ministers next Monday, which he will chair on behalf of the Czech EU presidency. He said restrictive measures against the Burmese regime were supported by all 27 EU countries, but the ministers had yet to agree on how far they should go.