US, UK slap sanctions on firms controlled by Myanmar’s military

The US and UK’s actions Thursday were the most significant yet against the wide-ranging business interests of Myanmar’s military, which include telecommunications, mining and real estate.

The United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on conglomerates controlled by Myanmar’s military on Thursday, following the Burmese generals’ February 1 coup and deadly crackdown, with Washington calling the move a response to “abhorrent violence and abuses”. The US Department of the Treasury said its sanctions targeted Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Ltd (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Ltd (MEC). The UK imposed similar sanctions on MEHL, citing the Myanmar military’s serious human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims.