An anti-coup protester gestures near a roadblock on the streets of Mandalay. (March 22, 2021)
The United States on Monday (March 22) announced sanctions against two additional individuals and two entities associated with the Burmese military.
A statement issued by the U.S. Treasury Department said the sanctions are the result of the Burmese military regime’s “continued campaign of violence and intimidation against peaceful protesters and civil society.
The Burmese military government has not yet commented.
The Burmese army staged a coup on Feb. 1, overthrowing the civilian government and arresting de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other top officials.
“Since then, Burmese police have engaged in brutal acts of violence against pro-democracy protesters,” the U.S. statement said.
Those sanctioned include Than Hlaing. He was appointed police chief and deputy interior minister on Feb. 2, according to a statement from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The Treasury statement said, “Under Than Hlaing’s leadership, Burmese police forces changed from using water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas to attack peaceful protesters with live ammunition; this escalation led to the killing of dozens of peaceful protesters by police across Burma on March 14, 2021, including the killing of 37 people in the Yangon suburb of Ledaia.”
Also sanctioned was Lt. Gen. Aung Soe (R). He is the commander of the Special Operations Directorate and reports directly to Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Finance Ministry said.
“The regional commands under Aung Soe’s control were involved in vicious attacks against peaceful protesters,” the Treasury Department statement said. “The fact that these military personnel were armed with weapons intended for use on the battlefield rather than in police operations suggests a planned, premeditated and coordinated approach to the use of lethal force against the anti-coup protests.”
In addition, the Treasury Department sanctioned the Burma Army’s 33rd Light Infantry Division and 77th Light Infantry Division for “being responsible for participating in, or directly or indirectly engaging or attempting to engage in actions or policies that prohibit, restrict, or punish the exercise of the right of the people of Burma to freedom of speech or assembly.”
These sanctions would block all property and interests in property “located in the United States or owned or controlled by U.S. legal persons, and owned, directly or indirectly, by them individually or in conjunction with other prohibited legal persons, 50 percent or more.
In February, the United States announced sanctions against the Burmese military government. Last week, the U.S. imposed sanctions on two adult children of Burma’s army commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. Reuters reports that the generals, including Min Aung Hlaing, have previously been subject to U.S. human rights sanctions for their role in the crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority. The crackdown on the Rohingya triggered a refugee crisis in 2017.
The U.S. has called for the immediate release of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ousted President Win Myint and all protesters, journalists and human rights activists who the U.S. says were unjustly detained after the coup.
Military officials claimed widespread fraud in last November’s election and used it as a reason to seize power in the February coup. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won that election in a resounding victory. The Myanmar Election Commission does not accept the allegations of election fraud.
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