The European Council voted to adopt a fourth round of sanctions against Myanmar Monday, citing a “continuing grave situation [and] intensifying human rights violations in Myanmar” in the aftermath of the 2021 military coup.
Previous EU sanctions have targeted weapons and equipment, an export ban on goods used by the military and border guard and a prohibition on military training and cooperation with the Tatmadaw, the armed forces of Myanmar. The new round of sanctions are more targeted than previous sanctions and now include more than 20 individuals and four companies.
The individuals include government ministers, members of the Union Election Commission, and high-ranking members of the Tatmadaw, while the companies include state-owned firms that supply the Tatmadaw and private firms connected to Tatmadaw leadership. Among the sanctions are asset freezes and travel bans against targeted individuals attempting to travel through EU territory.
Myanmar has been the subject of international condemnation since last year’s coup due to the new regime’s violence against protestors and suspension of civil liberties. More than 800,000 people in Myanmar have been displaced due to conflict resulting from the coup in the past year.