U.S. imposes sanctions on Myanmar military over Rohingya crackdown
Source: Reuters
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on four Myanmar military and police commanders and two army units, accusing them of “ethnic cleansing” against Rohingya Muslims and widespread human rights abuses across the Southeast Asian nation.
The sanctions by the Treasury Department marked the toughest U.S. action so far in response to Myanmar’s crackdown on the Rohingya minority, which started last year and has driven more than 700,000 people into neighboring Bangladesh and left thousands of dead behind.
But the Trump administration did not target the highest levels of Myanmar’s military and also stopped short of calling the anti-Rohingya campaign crimes against humanity or genocide, which has been the subject of debate within the U.S. government.
Critics have accused President Donald Trump of being slow in his response to the Rohingya crisis. Human rights groups noted that while Friday’s sanctions list included generals, Myanmar’s powerful army chief, Min Aung Hlaing, was spared.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-usa/u-s-imposes-sanctions-on-myanmar-military-over-rohingya-crackdown-idUSKBN1L21KL
