Promoting Human Rights through sanctions? The Case of Burma

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights, grade: 1.3, University of Constance, language: English, abstract: Since the end of the Cold War a new option in the decision on how to respond to threats to state security and freedom has gained popularity in foreign policy: economic sanctions. This middle course between military intervention and inaction has assumed an increasingly prominent role in many countries. The United States used sanctions against Haiti, Yugoslavia, Lybia and Iraq; the list of countries on which UN sanctions have been imposed includes embargoes against Al Quaeda, Iran, Liberia, North Korea and several more. With the emergence of an increasing demand for human rights by governments and institutions, sanctions have become a popular instrument to underscore and pressure for human rights claims.