Definition: In this task, a passage will be given and the goal is to identify an event from the passage. An event is defined as a single word representing something that happened, is happening, or may happen. An event can be factual or hypothetical, positive or negative, certain or uncertain. While most events are based on verbs, an event can also be based on a noun (ex. storm, snow, rainfall) or a copula verb (is, was, been, etc.). The event must not be a pronoun or an adjective. For noun events with multiple words, use the last word in the phrase as event.
Input: Passage: He did not, however, mention the investment ban on US companies in Burma, which was announced by Washington a week ago in response to the junta's continued repression of the pro-democracy opposition. Most of the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have already rebuffed the US appeal to bar Burma's entry into the group, which is expected to occur later this year.

rebuffed