US not to lift Myanmar sanctions in review: official

The United States is not considering lifting sanctions against Myanmar as part of a review of policy toward the junta, a State Department official said in a letter seen by AFP on Tuesday.

The State Department presented its position in a letter to a congressman who supports strong pressure against the military regime in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

"The sanctions that the United States and other countries maintain against the regime are an important part of our efforts to support change in Burma," Richard Verma, the assistant secretary for legislative affairs, wrote to Representative Peter King.

Verma, who handles relations between the State Department and Congress, said reports that the United States would lift sanctions were "incorrect."