Myanmar: Suu Kyi's close aide and more arrested as Biden orders sanctions

A close aide to ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained in a new wave of arrests following last week’s coup d'état. Kyaw Tint Swe along with four other members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) had been taken from their homes overnight. According to reports, Tint Swe, served as minister for the office of the state counsellor under Suu Kyi.

The latest detentions come as Washington inches a step closer to impose sanction on Myanmar’s military junta. On February 10, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order imposing sanctions against the military regime in Myanmar, freezing all US assets that benefit Myanmar’s military leaders.

Although the exact number of people arrested is yet not clear, it has been reported that members of the electoral commission have also been detained. The military junta has objected to the credibility of the legislative elections held last November and has constantly reject Suu Kyi’s victory in the polls.  Suu Kyi has been taken under house arrest since February 1, despite global powers demanding her immediate release.

Last week, the military also arrested an Australian economic advisor to Suu Kyi, marking country’s first international arrest. Speaking to BBC, Sean Turnell, a professor at Macquarie University in Sydney said that he has  been detained in the country following the military coup d'état. Following which, Australian authorities have demanded Myanmar to immediately release Turnell. 

Read: Pope Demands 'prompt Release' Of Myanmar Leaders Detained By Military

Read: Japan Lawmakers Demand Sanctions Against Myanmar Military Leaders After Joe Biden's Move

US Sanctions

US President Joe Biden has announced a series of sanctions on the military leaders of Myanmar in response to their recent action to overthrow a democratically elected leader in a coup. "Today I'm announcing a series of actions that we're taking to begin imposing consequences on the leaders of the coup. The US government is taking steps to prevent the generals from improperly having access to the USD1 billion in Burmese government funds held in the United States," Biden told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.

Read: Biden Announces Sanctions Against Military Leaders Of Myanmar

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