The Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) welcomes the new sanctions imposed by the governments of Australia, Canada, UK and USA on members of the illegal Myanmar military junta, its businesses, and jet fuel suppliers to mark the second anniversary of the military’s attempted coup.

“Governments worldwide should urgently deny the illegal junta weapons, funds, and legitimacy. For two years, the junta has continued to commit genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity with complete impunity,” said Kyaw Win Executive Director of BHRN. “The international community must act immediately to cut all resources to this terrorist regime and hold them accountable for their crimes.”

Over the last two years, the people of Burma have bravely resisted the junta’s violent attempt to take total control of the country. In the face of mass, unwavering public resistance, the junta continues to increase its campaign of brutality and savagery as it carries out killings, torture, forced disappearances, sexual violence, and daily airstrikes against the civilian population throughout the country. The junta’s continued commission of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, has been enabled by the supply of funds, arms, and jet fuel.

The steps taken by the Australia, Canada, UK and USA shows solidarity with the people of Burma in their fight to topple the dictatorship. The sanctions announced by Canada on January 31 prohibit the export, sale, supply, or shipment of aviation fuel to Myanmar, making Canada the first jurisdiction in the world to ban the supply of jet fuel to the junta.

Meanwhile, the measures taken by the UK targeted two Myanmar companies and two individuals who have played an essential role in importing, handling, and transporting aviation fuel to the junta’s air force. Complementing these efforts, the US imposed new sanctions targeting the senior leadership of Myanmar’s ministry of energy, Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), its air force, as well as an arms dealer and a family member of a previously designated business associates of the military. The US also sanctioned the Union Election Commission. Australia, which has been slow to impose sanctions on the junta has finally announced measures against 16 people, including the head of the junta, senior general Min Aung Hlaing as well as the military owned Myanmar Economic Corporation and Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Ltd.

Together, these new measures are a positive step in cutting the junta’s access to resources and deterrent to their ongoing crimes. However, immediate and coordinated action is still needed from the international community to systematically target the junta’s sources of revenue, arms, and jet fuel.

BHRN calls on:

• Governments worldwide to urgently sanction the junta, its businesses, and arms brokers and impose a coordinated global arms embargo.
• The US, UK, EU, and Australia to follow Canada’s lead in imposing a complete ban on the supply of jet fuel to the junta.
• The US, UK, Canada, and Australia to follow in the EU’s footsteps and sanction MOGE, which finances the junta.

Organisation’s Background

BHRN is based in London and operates across Burma/Myanmar working for human rights, minority rights and religious freedom in the country. BHRN has played a crucial role in advocating for human rights and religious freedom with politicians and world leaders.

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