US, UK, Canada slap sanctions on Myanmar chief justice, 6 others

The United States has issued fresh sanctions against people and entities linked to Myanmar’s military that seized control of the government a year ago, with President Joe Biden warning “further costs” will be imposed as long as the junta doesn’t hold elections, report news agencies.

Seven people including Myanmar government officials and businessmen as well as a private logistics company and an army-run procurement agency were targeted. The sanctions were levied in coordination with the UK and Canada.

The US Department of the Treasury took action against Attorney General Thida Oo, Supreme Court Chief Justice Tun Tun Oo and Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman U Tin Oo, whom it said were closely involved in the “politically motivated” prosecution of ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

“We are coordinating these actions with the United Kingdom and Canada to demonstrate the international community’s strong support for the people of Burma and to further promote accountability for the coup and the violence perpetrated by the regime,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

“The United States will continue to work with our international partners to address human rights abuses and press the regime to cease the violence, release all those unjustly detained, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and restore Burma’s path to democracy,” Blinken said.

US President Joe Biden said the coup has caused immense suffering across Burma and undermined regional stability, while the leaders of the regime and their supporters seek to profit off the chaos they created. “As long as the regime continues to deny the people of Burma their democratic vote, we will continue to impose further costs on the military and its supporters.”

Coup leader-turned-premier Min Aung Hlaing had pledged to hold elections in August next year, defying pressure from the US and Myanmar’s immediate neighbours to carry out polls much earlier.

The junta leader addressed the nation on Tuesday and defended the need for the, saying there were 11.3 million votes cast fraudulently in the 2020 elections that civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party won by a landslide. The Election Commission previously said the polls were free and fair.