US Sanctions More Myanmar Junta Members, Their Relatives and Chinese Firms

The US on Friday imposed another round of sanctions on Myanmar’s military regime, targeting its members, their spouses—including the coup leader’s wife—and adult children for its takeover in February, while adding Chinese companies to its trade blacklist for supporting the regime.

The US along with other Western countries had already imposed sanctions on the regime while condemning the junta for seizing power from the country’s democratically elected government led by its de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The latest sanctions target 22 individuals. They include seven key members of the regime’s governing State Administration Council (SAC), four of whom are cabinet members.

Furthermore, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing’s wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla and seven other spouses of regime members have also been targeted this time.

Seven adult children of regime members are on the list, too. Min Aung Hlaing’s two adult children were already under sanction.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the 15 relatives mentioned above are the spouses or adult children of previously designated senior Tatmadaw officers whose financial networks have contributed to military officials’ ill-gotten gains.

Four entities are blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) for providing support to Myanmar’s military, according to the announcement. They include three Chinese copper companies that provide support to the Myanmar regime through revenue-sharing arrangements with the military-owned and already sanctioned Myanma Economic Holdings Limited. They are Wanbao Mining and its two subsidiaries, Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd. and Myanmar Yang Tse Copper Ltd. A telecommunications company, King Royal, which has been providing satellite communications services to the Myanmar military, is on the list, too.

OFAC Director Andrea Gacki said the military’s suppression of democracy and campaign of brutal violence against the people of Myanmar are unacceptable.

“Today’s action demonstrates that 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,” the director said.

Late last month, the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on eight Myanmar officials, including the country’s police and navy chiefs, responsible for deadly crackdowns on pro-democracy protests and for cutting the internet in the wake of the junta’s Feb. 1 coup.

Here are the 22 individuals sanctioned by the US on Friday:

ï Saw Daniel, Banyar Aung Moe, Aye Nu Sein are members of the State Administrative Council (SAC)

ï Chit Naing is the Minister for Information; Aung Naing Oo is the Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations; Myint Kyaing is the Minister for Labor, Immigration, and Population; and Thet Thet Khine is the Minister of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement.

ï Kyu Kyu Hla is the spouse of SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing; Than Than Nwe is the spouse of SAC Vice Chairman Vice Senior General Soe Win; Thet Thet Aung is the spouse of SAC member General Mya Tun Oo; Than Than Aye is the spouse of SAC member Admiral Tin Aung San; Aung Mar Myint is the spouse of SAC member General Maung Maung Kyaw; Khaing Pa Pa Chit is the spouse of SAC member Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun; Moe Htet Htet Tun is the adult child of Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun; Khaing Moe Myint is the adult child of Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun; Yadanar Moe Myint is the adult child of Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun; Daw Nilar is the spouse of SAC member Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo, Theit Thinzar Ye is the adult child of Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo; Ohn Mar Myint is the spouse of SAC member Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe; Shwe Ye Phu Aung is the adult child of Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe; Hlaing Bwar Aung is the adult child of Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe; and Phyo Arkar Aung is the adult child of Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe.