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US sanctions Myanmar arms dealers as it ramps up pressure on junta
The Treasury Department designated a company and three Myanmar nationals, including businessman Aung Moe Myint who has allegedly facilitated various weapons purchases on behalf of the Southeast Asian nation's military.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield speak during a UN Security Council meeting on February 17, 2022, in New York. Blinken urged Russia Thursday to pull back from war and declare it has no plans to invade Ukraine. If it seeks peace, Blinken told the UN Security Council, (AFP/Timothy A. Clary)
T
he US government on Thursday imposed sanctions on arms dealers linked to the Myanmar military regime and others, in the latest effort to hold the junta accountable for its brutal treatment of its citizens following the coup in February 2021.
The Treasury Department designated a company and three Myanmar nationals, including businessman Aung Moe Myint who has allegedly facilitated various weapons purchases on behalf of the Southeast Asian nation's military.
Aung Moe Myint, the son of a Myanmar military officer, has also been sanctioned by the European Union and Britain.
The sanctions freeze the assets held by the designated entities in the United States and prohibit them from engaging in transactions with American citizens.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement that the designations cast light on the junta's longtime ties to the Russian and Belarusian militaries, saying that the three targeted individuals were allegedly involved in the procurement of Russian-produced military arms from Belarus for the Myanmar regime.
"We will continue to use our sanctions authorities to target those in Burma and elsewhere supporting Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine," he said, referring to Myanmar by its former name.
The State Department also said it is barring Than Hlaing, a former Myanmar police chief and deputy home affairs minister, from entering the United States due to his alleged involvement in the killing of peaceful protestors in February 2021.
According to the US government, the Myanmar military has committed "numerous atrocities" against its people, including the violent repression of political dissent, the killing of over 2,300 civilians, and the displacement of more than 900,000 people, following the coup that overthrew the democratically elected civilian government.
