Cambodian prime minister says sanctions against Myanmar will be futile

Cambodia's prime minister expressed his opposition Wednesday to economic sanctions against Myanmar, saying they would not force the ruling military junta to make reforms. "The game of sanctions will never lead to any result but will only cause hardship for the poor people," Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a speech at a development meeting in Phnom Penh. The United States and European Union have been pushing for tougher sanctions against Myanmar in response to its September crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators that killed at least 15 people. During a visit to Cambodia last week Ibrahim Gambari - the UN's special envoy to Myanmar -called for more cooperation between Myanmar's military rulers and the United Nations in speeding up democratic reforms to avoid sanctions being sought against the regime.