US sanctions 22 senior Myanmar officials and their family members over military coup

The United States on July 2 slapped fresh sanctions on 22 senior Myanmar ministers and family members in response to the February military coup and attacks against the country’s pro-democracy movement. According to Associated Press, the Treasury and Commerce Departments announced the move against seven members of the Myanmar military and 15 spouses and adult children of previously sanctioned officials as part of Washington’s continued response to the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.

“The military’s suppression of democracy and campaign of brutal violence against the people of Burma are unacceptable,” the US Treasury said. “The United States will continue to impose increasing costs on Burma’s military and promote accountability for those responsible for the military coup and ongoing violence, including by targeting sources of revenue for the military and its leaders”. 

As per reports, among the officials targeted are Minister for Information Chit Naing, Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Aung Naing Oo, Minister for Labor, Immigration and Population Myint Kyaing, Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Thet Thet Khine and three members of the State Administrative Council that the military set up after the coup. The sanctions will now freeze any assets they or any companies they own may have in the US jurisdictions and bar Americans from business with them. 

In a separate statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the sanctions do not target the Myanmar people, but are aimed at pressuring the military to “immediately restore Burma’s path to democracy”. 

Myanmar military coup 

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nation has been hit with gruelling violence after military leader Min Aung Hlaing declared a coup d’état on February 1. Not only have Myanmar’s democratically elected lawmakers including ousted state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi detained but hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives in the “fight for democracy”. According to the rights group AAPP, nearly 888 people have been killed, 6472 total arrested, 5173 currently detained or sentenced while 1964 people are evading an arrest warrant as of July 2. 

In its latest development, Myanmar’s government began releasing prisoners, including activists who were detained for protesting against the military's seizure of power in February and journalists who reported on the protests, officials said. Earlier this week, Zaw Zaw, head of the Yangon Region’s Prison Department, confirmed that more than 720 people were released from the prison, which for decades has been the main facility for political prisoners. However, it also appeared that not all activists and journalists were freed. 

(With inputs from AP)