Myanmar’s military toppled the democratically-elected government of the country and grabbed power on 1 February 2021. As the country marks the second anniversary of this military coup, the United States and its allies took the opportunity to tighten its noose around the military regime while imposing sanctions on the country.
This development also comes at a time when Myanmar’s junta on Friday announced tough criteria to contest an election this year in a bid to tighten its grip on the political landscape in the country.
According to a statement by Treasury Department, US on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s Union Election Commission, mining enterprises and energy officials, among others, reported Reuters.
The United States imposed sanctions on Myanmar earlier as well however this is the first time Washington has targeted Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) officials. Among other countries that also announced sanctions on Myanmar are Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Canada targeted six people and imposed additional sanctions on the export, sale, supply or shipment of aviation fuel to the Myanmar military regime.
These latest sanctions also target the managing director and deputy managing director of MOGE. As per the Treasury Department, the state-owned enterprise, MOGE, is the junta’s largest revenue-generating enterprise.
US also designated Myanmar’s Union Minister of Energy, the key person who overlooks all the engagements pertaining to the national and international energy sector. Last year, while citing aerial bombings by Myanmar’s military that killed as many as 100 people, Washington applied curbs on Sky Aviator, a key supplier of military aircraft parts to Myanmar’s military.
US has been consistently calling out Myanmar’s military for its brazen attempts to suppress the democratic aspirations of the people in Myanmar.
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