WASHINGTON, May 21: The United States has imposed additional economic sanctions on Myanmar (Burma) including a ban on new American investment because of ``large scale repression'' and escalating human rights abuses by the military government in Rangoon.

President Bill Clinton signed an executive order in this regard yesterday which came into effect from today.

The order prohibits US citizens from engaging in entering a contract that includes the economic development of resources in Myanmar, providing for the general supervision and guarantee of another person's performance of a contract that includes the economic development of resources.

The order also prohibits purchasing a share of ownership, including an equity interest, in the economic development of resources and a contract providing for the participation in royalties, earnings, or profits in the economic development of resources of Myanmar.Washington has imposed unilateral sanctions, including suspension of financial assistance, since the military junta took over Myanmar in 1988.

``It is my judgment that the recent actions by the regime constitute large-scale repression of the democratic opposition within the meaning (of the law),'' Clinton said in his order.

``During the past seven months, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) IN Burma has arrested and detained larger numbers of students and opposition supporters, sentenced dozens to long-term imprisonment and prevented the expression of political views by the democratic opposition,'' the order said.

The military have also committed ``serious abuses'' in their recent campaign against the nation's Karen ethnic minority, ``forcibly conscripting civilians and compelling thousands to flee into Thailand,'' Clinton said.Moreover, he said, Myanmar remains the world's leading producer of opium and heroin, ``with official tolerance of drug trafficking and traffickers in defiance of the views of the international community.''

``I believe that the actions and policies of the SLORC regime constitute an extraordinary and unusual threat to the security and stability of the region, and therefore to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,'' Clinton said.

Military regime resumes large scale arrests

Burma's military government has begun arresting supporters of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to break up another attempted congress of her political party, one of her aides said on Wednesday.

The party congress, scheduled to begin on May 27, was meant to mark the seventh anniversary of the 1990 national elections the military refused to honor. Attempts to reach Suu Kyi were unsuccessful. Her telephone line has been cut by the authorities and troops have been blocking the roads to her home for several months.

Although diplomats and supporters are occasionally allowed in to see her, aides describe the restrictions on her movements and contacts as virtual house arrest. Several of Suu Kyi's party members were taking refuge in her lakeside compound in hopes of avoiding arrest, said Kyi Maung, vice chairman of the National League for Democracy, who added that the military began rounding people up on Monday.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.