The UK, US and Canada have imposed new sanctions on Myanmar’s military, including measures by some aimed at cutting off jet fuel supplies to the air force, which has been accused of indiscriminately bombing civilian areas.
The sanctions were announced two years after the February 2021 coup in which Myanmar’s military overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, imprisoning her and plunging the country into turmoil.
Since then, the junta has burned villages across the country, launched airstrikes against civilians and detained anyone suspected of supporting pro-democracy movements – in an attempt to control staunch public opposition.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement on Tuesday that the coup had set Myanmar on a “disastrous path that has killed and displaced thousands” and new sanctions would be imposed in relation to Canada and the UK.
Australia also announced sanctions.
The military promised to hold elections in August this year, but recently announced strict rules that suggest the elections will be neither free nor fair. The junta tried to justify the coup by alleging, without evidence, widespread fraud in the 2020 election, which Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won in a landslide. Suu Kyi has since been sentenced to more than three decades in prison after a series of closed-door trials.
Myanmar’s protest leaders called for a “silent strike” on Wednesday – encouraging people to stay at home and the streets to fall silent – to signal opposition to the junta and its election plans. It is no longer safe to hold street protests in urban areas due to military violence.
Images released by local media on Wednesday morning showed banners hanging from bridges in Yangon calling on people to join the “revolution”. Activists asked people to close their businesses for several hours starting at 10am.
Google Maps’ traffic indicators for Yangon and Mandalay turned increasingly green as cars disappeared from the streets. In neighboring Thailand, crowds gathered at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, some carrying effigies of Aung San Suu Kyi or wearing headbands in support of the National Unity Government, which was formed to oppose junta rule.
A pro-war rally was also expected to pass through Yangon. The US embassy in the city warned of “intensified anti-regime activity and violence” in the days surrounding the anniversary.
The sanctions announced by Canada and the United Kingdom on Wednesday target the export, sale, supply or transport of aviation fuel to Myanmar. The UK measures targeted companies and individuals linked to the Asia Sun group, which it said “supply fuel to Myanmar’s air force which enables its barbaric campaign of airstrikes”.
Amnesty International’s business and human rights researcher Montse Ferrer described the Canadian and British government measures as “an important step towards ending the contribution of companies to military war crimes”.
“Until now, government inaction has allowed Myanmar’s military to use imported jet fuel to launch airstrikes that have devastated families and terrorized civilians. Although the companies targeted by the UK are key players in the jet fuel industry in Myanmar, countries must take action against the entire industry to stop the flow of jet fuel,” Ferrer said.
Ferrer said the countries should also follow Canada in halting the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer – including transit, transshipment and brokering – of aviation fuel to Myanmar.
The US sanctions target senior management of Myanmar’s Ministry of Energy, Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), its air force, and an arms dealer and family member of a previously designated business partner of the military. The US also sanctioned the Union Election Commission.
Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was concerned by the military’s apparent intention to hold elections “amidst intensifying aerial bombardment and burning of civilian houses, along with continued arrests, intimidation and harassment of political leaders, civil society actors and journalists”.
“Without conditions that allow the people of Myanmar to freely exercise their political rights, the proposed elections risk exacerbating instability,” the UN said in a statement.
Australia, which has been criticized for being slow to impose sanctions on Myanmar’s military, announced measures against 16 people, including junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy Soe Win. Two legal entities, Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Ltd, were also targeted.
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