The mouthpiece of Burma’s junta on Monday slammed the economic sanctions that Washington imposed on the military ruled country last year, and charged, “There is no country in the world that has ever changed for the better on account of economic sanctions.”

The state-run New Light of Myanmar published an article in its English-language version this morning, titled “It is high time the US put an end to their foolish behavior.” It is the first in a series of articles about US sanctions.

“World-famous professors and pundits have also made it clear that economic sanctions cannot produce democracy nor oust the Tatmadaw Government in Myanmar,” the article read, referring to the military government in Burma.

After the junta took power in 1988, the US government imposed an arms embargo on Burma and suspended aid.

In July last year, US President George W Bush signed an executive order that prohibited American financial institutions from providing any services to Burma and signed into law “The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act”. The act, which Congress renewed in June, extends a range of trade sanctions against Burma and bans new US investments in and imports from Burma. The ban will expire in August 2005 unless renewed for another year.

The article in today’s New Light also blamed Washington’s actions for delaying the advancement of democracy in Burma. It said that Burma’s constitution-drafting National Convention—adjourned in 1996, a few weeks after Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party walked out—was delayed shortly after then US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met Suu Kyi in Rangoon.

An editor of a popular magazine based in Rangoon said today: “It just shows how angry the military leaders are about sanctions.