US sanctions Burmese military leaders for 'serious' human rights abuse'

The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on four Burmese military leaders for long-alleged human rights abuses against Rohingya and other minorities.

At the same time the U.S. took the toughest action yet targeting military chief Min Aung Hlaing for what’s been charged as a genocide against the Rohingya minority, Burma’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced the first day of hearings at the United Nations' highest court, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. She will defend her country’s military against the accusations of genocide.

The U.S. Treasury Department, issuing sanctions against 18 individuals around the world on International Human Rights day for their roles in "serious human humans rights abuse," said Hlaing had been responsible for the military at a time when “members of ethnic minority groups were killed or injured by gunshot, often while fleeing, or by soldiers using large-bladed weapons; others were burned to death in their own houses. There are credible claims of mass-scale rape and other forms of sexual violence committed by soldiers.”

The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets held by those targeted and prohibit Americans from doing business with them. It also imposed sanctions on leaders in Pakistan, Libya, Slovakia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan for their roles in human rights abuse.

Hlaing’s deputy, Soe Win, and two other subordinates were sanctioned for heading army units that led the crackdown on the Rohingya.

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