WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on 52 people and entities for alleged human rights violations and corruption, including Myanmar military officer Maung Maung Soe, who oversaw a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The US Treasury Department said the United States had ?examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soe´s activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages.?
Others hit with sanctions included Benjamin Bol Mel, who has served as an adviser to South Sudan President Salva Kiir, and former Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, the department said. The sanctions filed under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act showed the United States was ?taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the US financial system,? US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.
The move freezes any assets the sanctioned individuals and entities may hold under US jurisdiction and blocks Americans from dealing with them. Among others targeted were Gulnara Karimova, the daughter Of former Uzbekistan leader Islam Karimov, citing ?corrupt activities,? the statement said.Meanwhile, several countries, the United Nations and journalist groups are demanding the release of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from detention in Myanmar. The reporters were arrested on Dec. 12 after being invited to meet police officials on the outskirts of Yangon. They had worked on stories about a military crackdown in Rakhine state, scene of around 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh since August. Myanmar?s Ministry of Information has said the reporters ?illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media,? and released a photo of them in handcuffs. It said the reporters and two policemen faced charges under the British colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, though officials said they have not been charged.
12-22-2017, 11:50 AM
US sanctions Myanmar, South Sudan, Gambian figures over HR violations, corruption
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