New Delhi (Mizzima) – Seventeen members of the US Congress have written to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, asking for the appointment of a special envoy for military-ruled Burma, a state department spokesperson said.

Robert Wood, Acting Spokesperson of the State department on Tuesday said, “The Department has recently received a letter, signed by 17 members of the Congress on Burma.”

The letter, addressed to Hillary Clinton, urged the state department to appoint a special envoy for Burma.

Clinton had stated earlier that the US was reviewing its policy towards Burma. She admitted that the US policy of economic sanctions had failed to bring about a change in the regime’s behaviour, but also added the engagement policy of the neighbouring countries, also had not yielded any positive result.

“She [Clinton] is always interested in hearing from members of the Congress about, you know, important issues of the day.  Certainly, Burma is one that she cares very deeply about,” Wood told reporters during a daily press briefing in Washington.

The United States had earlier said, it was reviewing its Burma policy, but did not make public a timeline for completing the policy review.