The following is a collection of press releases by the US State Department, US Treasury Department, and US Commerce Department on the military coup in Myanmar.
State Department
In response to the brutal campaign of violence perpetrated by the Burmese military regime and to continue imposing costs in connection with the military coup, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Assets Control is designating today 22 individuals connected to the regime, pursuant to Executive Order 14014 “Blocking Property With Respect to the Situation in Burma.” These include three additional State Administration Council (SAC) members and four military-appointed cabinet members, as well as 15 adult children or spouses of previously designated Burmese military officials whose financial networks have contributed to military officials’ ill-gotten gains.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce is adding Wanbao Mining, Ltd., two of its subsidiaries, and King Royal Technologies to its Entity List. These entities provide revenue and/or other support to the Burmese military, and Wanbao Mining and its subsidiaries have long been implicated in labor rights violations and human rights abuses, including at the Letpadaung copper mine.
These measures further demonstrate that we will continue to take additional action against, and impose costs on, the military and its leaders until they reverse course and provide for a return to democracy.
The United States is committed to promoting accountability for the Burmese military, the SAC, and all those who have provided support for the military coup. The United States will continue to urge the Burmese military to fully cooperate in expeditious implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus, and immediately restore Burma’s path to democracy. The United States will remain a steadfast advocate for the people of Burma’s ability to determine the future of their country.
Treasury Department
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 22 individuals connected to Burma’s military regime.
Among the individuals sanctioned today are seven key members of Burma’s military, which continues to repress the pro-democracy movement in the country and use lethal force against the people of Burma, including children and members of ethnic minority groups. The other 15 individuals are the spouses or adult children of previously designated senior Burmese military officials whose financial networks have contributed to military officials’ ill-gotten gains. OFAC designated all these individuals pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14014, “Blocking Property with Respect to the Situation in Burma.” These sanctions are not directed at the people of Burma.
“The military’s suppression of democracy and campaign of brutal violence against the people of Burma are unacceptable,” said Andrea Gacki, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control. “Today’s action demonstrates that the United States will continue to impose increasing costs on Burma’s military and promote accountability for those responsible for the military coup and ongoing violence, including by targeting sources of revenue for the military and its leaders.”
These measures complement new restrictions announced today by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on four entities that have provided support to Burma’s military. Effective July 2, BIS added the following four entities to the Department of Commerce Entity List set forth in Supp. No. 4 to Part 744 of the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR Parts 730-774 (EAR): King Royal Technologies Co., Ltd., a telecommunications company providing satellite communication services to Burma’s military, as well as Wanbao Mining and its two subsidiaries, Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper, Ltd. and Myanmar Yang Tse Copper, Ltd., copper mining companies that provide support to Burma’s military through revenue-sharing arrangements with Myanma Economic Holdings Limited, which Treasury designated on March 25, 2021 pursuant to E.O. 14014. As a consequence of their addition to the Entity List, a license requirement applies to all items subject to the EAR that are destined for the four entities, and BIS will review any license applications under a review policy of a presumption of denial.
As part of this action, the following seven individuals, who are members of Burma’s military regime, are designated pursuant to E.O. 14014 for being foreign persons who are or were leaders or officials of the Government of Burma on or after February 2, 2021:
Saw Daniel, Banyar Aung Moe, and Aye Nu Sein are members of the State Administrative Council (SAC), the body created by the military on February 2, 2021 to support its unlawful overthrow of the democratically elected civilian government, and which Treasury designated on May 17, 2021 pursuant to E.O. 14014;
Chit Naing is the Minister for Information;
Aung Naing Oo is the Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations;
Myint Kyaing is the Minister for Labor, Immigration, and Population; and
Thet Thet Khine is the Minister of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement.
In addition to the individuals identified above, the following 15 individuals are designated pursuant to E.O. 14014 for being a spouse or adult child of a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14014.
Kyu Kyu Hla is the spouse of SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021;
Than Than Nwe is the spouse of SAC Vice Chairman Vice Senior General Soe Win, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021;
Thet Thet Aung is the spouse of SAC member General Mya Tun Oo, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021;
Than Than Aye is the spouse of SAC member Admiral Tin Aung San, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021;
Aung Mar Myint is the spouse of SAC member General Maung Maung Kyaw, whom Treasury designated on February 22, 2021;
Khaing Pa Pa Chit is the spouse of SAC member Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun, whom Treasury designated on February 22, 2021;
Moe Htet Htet Tun is the adult child of Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun;
Khaing Moe Myint is the adult child of Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun;
Yadanar Moe Myint is the adult child of Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun;
Daw Nilar is the spouse of SAC member Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021;
Theit Thinzar Ye is the adult child of Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo;
Ohn Mar Myint is the spouse of SAC member Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe, whom Treasury designated on February 11, 2021;
Shwe Ye Phu Aung is the adult child of Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe;
Hlaing Bwar Aung is the adult child of Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe; and
Phyo Arkar Aung is the adult child of Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe.
As a result of today’s OFAC action, all property and interests in property of the persons named above that are in the United States, or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.
Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Commerce Department
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has added four entities to the Entity List in its latest action in response to the February 1, 2021 military coup in Burma: King Royal Technologies Co., Ltd., a telecommunications company that provides satellite communications services in support of the Burmese military, and Wanbao Mining and its two subsidiaries, Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper, Ltd. and Myanmar Yang Tse Copper, Ltd., copper mining companies that have revenue-sharing agreements with Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL), an entity added to the Entity List in March 2021. MEHL provides revenue for Burma’s Ministry of Defence, an entity responsible for the military coup that was also added to the Entity List in March 2021. Additionally, three of the newlyadded entities, Wanbao Mining and its two subsidiaries, have long been reportedly linked to labor rights violations and human rights abuses.
The Entity List is a tool utilized by BIS to restrict the export, re-export, and transfer (in-country) of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to persons (individuals, organizations, companies) reasonably believed to be involved, or to pose a significant risk of becoming involved, in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. Additional license requirements apply to exports, re-exports, and transfers (in-country) of items subject to the EAR to listed entities, and the availability of most license exceptions is limited.
This announcement builds upon recent BIS actions in February and March of this year that included new restrictions on exports of sensitive items to Burma’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, armed forces, and security services, and on certain items destined for defined military end uses and end users in Burma. Those actions also placed Burma in a more restrictive “country group” under the EAR, thereby limiting the availability of license exceptions.
“The United States continues to condemn the Burmese military’s refusal to recognize the democratically elected government of Burma, its unjust trial of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and actions against the National League of Democracy, and its violent repression of the people of Burma,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “We continue encouraging like-minded allies and partners to join the United States in imposing costs on these four entities and clamping down on other sources of revenue that support the repressive and undemocratic activities of the Burmese military. The U.S. government will continue to promote accountability for the perpetrators of the coup and stand with the people of Burma and their democratic institutions.”