The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced Canada is imposing targeted sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations against individuals and entities responsible for procuring and supplying arms and military equipment to the military regime in Myanmar, as well as the Commander of the Air Force.

The announcement of these latest sanctions, in coordination with the United Kingdom and the United States, underscores our continued support to the people in Myanmar in the face of the brutality of the armed forces and our resolve to bring the regime to full account. The announcement coincides with Armed Forces Day in Myanmar on March 27, which in 2021 was one of the bloodiest days of protest following the coup.

Since the coup on February 1, 2021, the use of lethal weapons by the regime has led to the death of more than 1,600 civilians and displaced over 440,000 people from their homes. Despite repeated calls to cease violence, to release all of those arbitrarily detained and to allow immediate unrestricted humanitarian access, the regime has continued to commit gross human rights violations and inflict terror against its own people with complete impunity and disregard for their suffering.

The appalling breadth and scale of atrocities by the regime are detailed in a recent report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights suggesting that these atrocities may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Canada strongly condemns the bombardment of populated areas with air strikes and heavy weapons and the arbitrary detention, torture and mass killing of civilians, all of which has deepened the humanitarian crisis. Canada reiterates its call and urges all countries to halt all operational support and to cease the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons, munitions, military equipment and material, dual-use equipment, and technical assistance to the Myanmar armed and security forces and their representatives to prevent further atrocities.