A large number of protesters went on strike in Myanmar’s second largest city, Mandalay, on Monday.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday announced sanctions against two members of the Burmese junta’s “National Leadership Council,” including former Army Chief of Staff Moe Myint Tun, who oversaw military operations in the capital Naypyidaw, and Air Force Commander-in-Chief Maung Maung Kyaw. The U.S. will freeze the assets of the two men in the U.S. and prohibit them from doing business with Americans.
According to Reuters, the U.S. Treasury Department also said in a statement, “The Burmese military must reverse its actions and urgently restore Burma’s democratically elected government, or the Treasury Department will not hesitate to take further action.”
After gaining power in a coup earlier this month, Myanmar’s military has repeatedly cracked down on protesting people, and the crackdown has become increasingly bloody.
At the new UN Human Rights Council session on 22nd, UN Secretary-General Guterres called on the Burmese military to immediately end the crackdown, release prisoners, stop the violence, and respect human rights and the will of the people as expressed in the recent elections.
EU foreign ministers also issued a statement later warning that the EU would take restrictive measures against the Burmese military by banning entry and freezing the assets of those involved. In addition, the EU will review its development cooperation with Burmese authorities and the tariff-free treatment provided to imports of Burmese goods.
Minister of State for Asia at the UK Foreign Office, Mr. Adams, also summoned the Burmese ambassador to the UK to condemn the military’s actions, stating that the use of violence against protesters, which resulted in death and injury, was immoral and should stop immediately, and that the UK would use all diplomatic means to respond to human rights abuses.
British Foreign Secretary Raab also called on Burma to respect public opinion and release State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi at the UN Human Rights Council.
According to the website of Radio Television Hong Kong, people in many cities across Myanmar responded to the call of the “Civil Disobedience Movement” yesterday to join a general strike that closed many stores and international chains.
Thousands of people took to the streets in the capital Naypyitaw, where police dispersed the march with water cannon trucks and a large number of police and military vehicles stood by. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, citing social media platform postings, the capital Naypyidaw, about 200 people were arrested, many of whom are young people.
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