U.S. sanctions target Myanmar junta-linked businessman for procuring Russian-made weapons

REUTERS
Simon Lewis
October 7, 2022

A slogan is written on a street as a protest after the coup in Yangon, Myanmar February 21, 2021. Picture taken with iPhone panoramic mode. REUTERS/Stringer//File Photo

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Myanmar businessman and two others involved in procuring Russian-made weapons from Belarus for the junta that seized power in the Southeast Asian country early last year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

The military staged a coup in February 2021, detaining democratic leaders including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, then violently suppressed protests, sparking a spiraling conflict.

US Announces Sanctions on Myanmar Military-Linked Arms Broker

THE I DIPLOMAT

By Sebastian Strangio

October 07, 2022

Aung Moe Myint and his Dynasty International company are accused of procuring Russian-made arms from Belarus for the military.

The United States has announced a further round of sanctions on Myanmar’s military government, targeting three individuals and one entity “for their roles related to the procurement of Russian-produced military arms from Belarus for the Burmese regime.”

In a statement announcing the sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the sanctions “aim to target those abetting the military’s ability to carry out human rights abuses.”