“John Kerry Stayed at US-Blacklisted Myanmar Hotel”, 12 August 2014

The U.S. says Secretary of State John Kerry did not break any rules when he stayed in a glitzy hotel owned by a tycoon blacklisted because of ties to Myanmar's former military regime. In a country where cronies own almost all the biggest and best-known firms…Kerry would have been hard-pressed to find anywhere else to stay during the gathering of Southeast Asian foreign ministers…But the decision illustrates the conundrum of American policies. Washington is eager to engage with Myanmar's new nominally civilian government, but when it comes to business, finds itself grappling with the legacy of sanctions imposed during decades of military dictatorship…Myanmar's Foreign Ministry assigned members of his delegation to the Lake Garden Hotel…owned by the Max Myanmar group, which belongs to the blacklisted tycoon, Zaw Zaw…U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski…met with a number of cronies, telling them what they would have to do [to be removed from the blacklist]…he said, they need to demonstrate in a verifiable way that they are engaging in responsible business practices and that they have cut ties with the military-tied businesses.