Embassy of the United States, Yangon

The Embassy of the United States of America in Rangoon represents the official diplomatic mission of the American government in Burma (Myanmar), provides assistance to American citizens and issues visas to foreign nationals, for the purposes of visiting and immigration.

Embassy of the United States of America in Burma
LocationRangoon, Burma
Address110 University Avenue Road, Kamayut Township
Coordinates16.82543°N 96.14473°E / 16.82543; 96.14473
RelocatedAugust 2007
AmbassadorSusan N. Stevenson (Chargé d'Affairs ad interim)
Websitemm.usembassy.gov

Location

The American Embassy was formerly located in Downtown Rangoon, on Merchant Street between 33rd Street and 34th Street, facing the Independence Monument park and Rangoon City Hall on the other side of the park. Sule Pagoda was one block north on the west side of the park. The building was formerly a Bank in a 45,437 square feet (4,221.2 m2) colonial-era structure.[1] In August 2007, the embassy moved to new premises further from Downtown, because of security concerns at the old site.[2] From 2001 to 2005, as a consequence of the September 11 attacks, roadblocks and security barriers were placed in front the building, to seal off traffic.[3]

The new embassy site, located on the University Avenue Road in Rangoon's Kamayut Township, facing Inya Lake, was reportedly constructed at the cost of $60 million USD.[4]

Controversy

According to WikiLeaks cables, the embassy funded some of the civil society groups in Burma that forced the government to suspend a controversial Chinese Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy river.[5] According to media reports citing documents published by Germany's Der Spiegel in 2010, the embassy is the site of an electronic surveillance facility used to monitor telephones and communications networks, run jointly by the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency group known as Special Collection Service.[6]

References
  1. "East Asia and the Pacific Properties (EAP)". US Department of State. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  2. Janssen, Peter (30 March 2007). "Foreign missions left in the dark in old capital – Peter Janssen". Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  3. "Burmese authorities remove roadblocks from front of the U.S. Embassy Rangoon". Associated Press. 7 November 2005. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  4. Thet Khaing (3 September 2007). "Construction boom leads to quality concerns". Myanmar Times. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. "WikiLeaks cables: Americans funded groups that stalled Burma dam project". The Guardian. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  6. Tim McLaughlin and Nyan Lynn Aung (31 October 2013). "US embassy in Yangon a secret listening post: Snowden". The Myanmar Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
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