US slams sanctions on Myanma military junta

Admin l Wednesday, April 21, 2021

 

WASHINGTON – The United States of America has hit hard on the military junta in Myanma over its continued crackdown on civilians agitating for restoration of democratic order.  In that last few days,  about 650 Burmese have been killed by the military, while about 3,200 others have been detained  ignoring international calls for restraint. The latest action by the United States being its decision to designate  two entities,  the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) and Myanmar Pearl Enterprise (MPE).

In a statement, Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken  said the Burmese military regime continues to ignore the will of the people of Burma to restore the country’s path to democracy.

“Instead of acceding to the clear aspirations of its citizens, the regime has intensified its violent crackdown, killing more than 650 people, including many children, and detaining more than 3,200 others since February 1.

“Today, the United States is taking further action to restrict the regime’s access to key economic resources by designating two state-owned enterprises that benefit the regime as it engages in violence against the people of Burma. Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) and Myanmar Pearl Enterprise (MPE) are being designated pursuant to Executive Order 14014, for being a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Burma”, he said.

The designation, he said reinforces “our message to the military that the United States will continue to target specific funding channels and promote accountability for the coup and related violence. We will continue to support the people of Burma in their efforts to reject this coup, and we call on the military regime to cease violence, release all those unjustly detained, and restore Burma’s path to democracy”, he said.