Coup in Myanmar: EU imposes sanctions on military

The European Union yesterday imposed sanctions on 11 people linked to last month's military coup in Myanmar as the repression of pro-democracy protesters by security forces reached what Germany's foreign minister called "an unbearable extent".

The sanctions marked the 27-nation bloc's most significant response since the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government on February 1. The individuals targeted included General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military.

The United States targeted Myanmar's police chief and an army special operations commander with sanctions yesterday over the government's deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

Washington had already sanctioned Min Aung Hlaing and the new measures expanded the list of targets.

"The Burmese security forces' lethal violence against peaceful protesters must end," said Andrea Gacki, director of the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. "We continue to stand with the people of Burma."

There was no immediate response from the junta, which has shown no sign so far of being swayed by international condemnation of its actions.

At least 250 people have been killed so far in the crackdown on the protests, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group.

Three people were killed in Myanmar's second city, Mandalay in renewed unrest yesterday, including a 15-year-old boy, witnesses and news reports said.

EU foreign ministers adopted the travel bans and asset freezes on the individuals at a meeting in Brussels. So far, the EU has an arms embargo on Myanmar and it has targeted some senior military officials since 2018.

"We are going to take sanctions against 11 persons involved in the coup and the repression of the demonstrators," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters before the meeting that the crackdown "has reached an unbearable extent, which is why we will not be able to avoid imposing sanctions".

Among the individuals targeted are Min Aung Hlaing, Myint Swe, who has been acting president since the coup, and other senior military and administration staff.

Stronger measures are expected soon as the bloc moves to take aim at the businesses run by the military.

EU diplomats have told Reuters that parts of the military's conglomerates, Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), are likely to be targeted, barring EU investors and banks from doing business with them.

The conglomerates are spread throughout the economy from mining and manufacturing to food and beverages to hotels, telecoms and banking.

A UN fact-finding mission in 2019 recommended sanctions against the two companies and their subsidiaries, saying they gave the army extra sources of revenue that could finance human rights violations.

"We don't intend to punish the people of Myanmar but those who blatantly violate human rights," Maas said.

The new sanctions follow a US decision last month to target the military and its business interests.

Britain, the former colonial power, last month froze the assets and placed travel bans on three generals over the coup.

In the latest violence, three people were killed in Mandalay, witnesses and the Myanmar Now news portal said.

Tun Tun Aung, a 15-year-old, was killed in his hut when security forces opened fire in the city's Mya Yi Nandar area, his sister said.

"My brother was sitting next to the window," she said. "We live in the squatters area. Our house is not strong enough to stop bullets."

The weeks of violence haves forced many citizens to think up novel ways to protest. Motorists honked car horns in downtown areas of the commercial capital Yangon in a sign of protest.

DIPLOMATIC PUSH

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Brunei Darussalam yesterday before going to Malaysia and Indonesia, who are seeking an urgent meeting of Southeast Asia's Asean regional grouping, of which Myanmar is a member.

Brunei is the current chair of the 10-member group.

Heng Swee Keat, deputy prime minister of Singapore, told an investors conference that his country was "appalled by the violent crackdowns against civilians" and called for a return to the democratic transition.

The island state, which has deep economic ties with Myanmar, has previously called the military action a "national shame".

The BBC said yesterday one of its reporters in Myanmar who was detained by plainclothes men three days ago had been freed. Aung Thura, from the BBC's Burmese service, was detained on Friday along with a journalist who works for the domestic Mizzima news service.

There was no immediate word on the whereabouts of the Mizzima reporter.