US Targets Myanmar’s Military With Another Round of Sanctions

The United States on Friday announced sanctions against military officials and individuals and companies tied to Myanmar’s military in the latest response to the February 1 coup in the Southeast Asian country.  

The U.S. Treasury Department officially sanctioned seven senior military officials for the government’s use of lethal force against pro-democracy supporters. It also sanctioned 15 individuals who are family members of previously sanctioned officials and whose “financial networks have contributed to military officials’ ill-gotten gains.” The Treasury’s statement emphasized that these sanctions are not directed at the citizens of Myanmar and are intended to increase financial burdens on Myanmar’s military by cutting off all 22 designated individuals from any assets they may have in the U.S.  In a complementary action, the Department of Commerce restricted trade exports to four companies it said support the military’s ongoing actions.