United States has imposed fresh sanctions on 22 persons including four Ministers in Myanmar.
Gatekeepers News reports that on Friday the Treasury and Commerce Department, in a two-pronged action, announced the sanctions as part of Washington’s continued response to the overthrow of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s government was toppled by Myanmar military junta in a coup on February 1.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the new sanctions were levied “in response to the brutal campaign of violence perpetrated by the Burmese military regime and to continue imposing costs in connection with the military coup.”
The sanctions do not target the Myanmar people, but are aimed at pressuring the military to “immediately restore Burma’s (Myanmar’s) path to democracy,” Blinken said.
Those targeted in Myanmar are: Myanmar’s Minister of Information Chit Naing; Minister for Investment Aung Naing Oo; Labour and Immigration Minister Myint Kyaing; and the Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Thet Thet Khine.
Three members of the powerful State Administrative Council were also hit with sanctions, as were 15 spouses and adult children of officials, in an expansion of US punishments imposed in February, March and May following the coup.
Gatekeepers News reports that under the sanctions, all U.S property in the name of the individuals are blocked, and Americans or people in the US are prohibited from conducting property or interest transactions with them.
Director of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Andrea Gacki in a statement said the action demonstrates Washington “will continue to impose increasing costs on Burma’s military and promote accountability for those responsible for the military coup and ongoing violence.”
