BANGKOK (AP) — The escalation of violence in Myanmar as authorities crack down on protests against the February 1 coup is adding to pressure for more sanctions against the junta. But countries are struggling over how to best confront military leaders inured to global condemnation. The challenge is complicated by fears of harming ordinary citizens who are already suffering from an economic slump worsened by the pandemic. Past sanctions have had limited impact, and Myanmar’s neighbors — its biggest trading partners — have sought to avoid them. But activists and experts say there are ways to ramp up pressure on the regime, especially by cutting off sources of funding and access to the tools of repression.
