Burmese band suffers US sanctions
Burmese punks Side Effect suffer US sanctions after IndieGoGo, a fundraising Web site for independent artists, refused to transfer donations in potential defiance of US law.
Side Effect, a punk rock trio in blighted Burma, do not appear to be war criminals, jade pillagers or oppressors of the poor.
But a US law designed to punish Burma's powerful for the country's atrocious human rights record is screwing them out of about $2,500 anyway, according to the Myanmar Times. (Myanmar is Burma's official title.)
That's the amount private donors at IndieGoGo, a Web site that collects donations for independent artists, pledged to Side Effect to help them keep rocking.
But, according to the band, IndieGoGo is afraid to transfer the cash to an account in Burma.
Though U.S.-Burmese relations are warming fast, Americans still can't invest in Burmese business interests which might just include a punk rock band. (Is IndieGoGo that savvy when it comes to the nuances of foreign sanctions? Probably not. I presme the U.S. to Burma bank transaction was automatically flagged and rejected.)
Says Side Effect on their Facebook page:
"We are extremely upset and disappointed that bullshit foreign policy has resulted in us not being able to receive support from our fans. Please stay tuned as we attempt to sort this out."