One year on from coup: US, UK and Canada impose new Myanmar sanctions
The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have all imposed sanctions on Myanmar targets – exactly one year after the military coup in that country which overturned the democratically-elected government.
On 1 February, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) said it was designating ‘seven individuals and two entities connected to Burma’s military regime pursuant to Executive Order (E.O) 14014.’
OFAC said that the three individuals that it is targeting are ‘being designated for being foreign persons who are or were leaders or officials of the Government of Burma on or after February 2, 2021.’
It said, ‘Thida Oo is the Union Attorney General. The Attorney General’s Office, under Thida Oo’s leadership, crafted the regime’s politically motivated charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint, and other pro-democracy leaders, undermining the rule of law and Burma’s democratic institutions.
‘Tun Tun Oo is the Chief Justice of Burma’s Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, under Tun Tun Oo’s leadership, has been involved in the regime’s prosecution of Aung San Suu Kyi and other pro-democracy leaders, undermining the rule of law and Burma’s democratic institutions.
‘Tin Oo is the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC, under Tin Oo’s leadership, has brought spurious corruption charges against Aung San Suu Kyi and other former civilian government officials to remove them and the National League for Democracy (NLD) as a political force.’
OFAC also sanctioned KT Services & Logistics Company Limited (‘KTSL’), which, it says, has operated the TMT Port in Yangon since 2016 and ‘leases the port from the Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) for $3 million a year,’ and Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung, the CEO of KT Group and the Director of the KT Group subsidiary, KTSL.
Other targets include an individual and entity who have provided arms and equipment to Burma’s military regime and who are being designated ‘for operating in the defense sector of the Burmese economy.’ They are:
‘The Directorate of Procurement of the Commander-In-Chief of Defense Services (Army)’ and ‘Tay Za…owner of multiple companies known to provide equipment and services, including arms, to the Burmese military and [who] was a member of a May 2021 high-ranking Burmese military delegation to Russia, led by General Maung Maung Kyaw — an individual designated on February 22, 2021, for being a foreign person who is or was a leader or official of the military or security forces of Burma.’
The UK government and Canada have also sanctioned Thida Oo and Tin Oo for their roles in the coup, with the UK also adding U Thein Soe, chair of the Union Election Commission, to its sanctions list and Canada designating Tun Tun Oo (as per the OFAC designation).
As recently reported by WorldECR, OFAC has published a document on Risks and Considerations For Businesses and Individuals with business exposures to Myanmar/Burma at: https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/126/20220126_burma_advisory.pdf
See also: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0572
