Washington expanded its sanctions on Myanmar on Wednesday to the jet-fuel sector, adding two Burmese businesspeople and three companies that supply jet fuel to the regime’s military to its Specially Designated Nationals List.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed Khin Phyu Win and Zaw Min Tun on the list, which prohibits any American or US company—including banks and financial institutions—from doing business with them.
It also issued a warning. “Any person determined … to operate in the jet fuel sector of the Burmese economy shall be subject to sanctions,” said Bradley Smith, Deputy Director of OFAC.
Three companies linked to Khin Phyu Win were also placed on the list, including two registered in Singapore. They are: Myanmar-registered P.E.I. Energy Pte Ltd, and two Singapore-registered companies: Peia Pte Ltd and Shoon Energy Pte Ltd.
Khin Phyu Win is also known as Kyauk Kyar Shwe (the Burmese spelling of her Chinese name, Zhao Jia Shui). She continues to procure and distribute jet fuel through her ownership and control of the three companies, according to OFAC’s update of its SDNL.
Previously, she was associated with multiple jet fuel-related companies within the Asia Sun Group, which imported jet fuel on behalf of Myanmar’s military regime and was sanctioned by OFAC on March 24, 2023 for operating in the defense sector of Myanmar’s economy. She is the director of at least 10 companies in Myanmar.
Shoon Energy Pte Ltd, was formally known as Asia Sun Aviation and is a part of Asia Sun Group. Khin Phyu Win and Shoon Energy were also sanctioned by the United Kingdom on March 27, while the junta was celebrating the 78th Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw.
Khin Phyu Win subsequently transferred 11 Asia Sun Group companies to Zaw Min Tun who became the director and owner of them, including Asia Sun Trading Co Ltd.
In January, the UK imposed sanctions on Asia Sun Trading and two executives: U Zaw Min Tun and U Win Kyaw Kyaw Aung. On March 24, Washington sanctioned three Myanmar-registered companies in the Asia Sun network: Asia Sun Group Co Ltd, Asia Sun Trading Co Ltd and Cargo Link Petroleum Logistics Co Ltd.
The new sanctions specifically target Khin Pyu Win and Zaw Min Tun for their roles in supplying jet fuel to the junta.
The new sanctions were imposed as OFAC said it had strengthened and was expanding sanctions on Myanmar. It has specifically targeted the jet-fuel sector. OFAC can impose sanctions on any foreign individual or entity that operates in Myanmar’s jet-fuel sector.
“By expanding the use of our sanctions authority to target an additional sector critical to the military regime, we are able to further deprive the regime of the resources that enable it to oppress its citizens,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.
“The United States remains committed to supporting the people of Burma in their pursuit of freedom and democracy,” he said.
After overthrowing the newly elected civilian government in a coup on February 1, 2021, the military regime has increasingly relied on airstrikes to respond to rising resistance against its rule by the people of Myanmar.
