Myanmar junta hit by western sanctions as small-scale protests mark coup anniversary

The UK, US and Canada have imposed fresh sanctions against Myanmar’s military, including measures from some aimed at stopping the supply of aviation fuel to its air force, which is accused of indiscriminately bombing civilian areas.

The sanctions were announced two years on from the 2021 February coup, in which Myanmar’s military ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, detaining her and plunging the country into turmoil.

Since then, the junta has torched villages across the country, launched airstrikes on civilians and detaining anyone suspected of supporting pro-democracy movements – in an attempt to control determined opposition from the public.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said in a statement on Tuesday that the coup had placed Myanmar on “a disastrous path that has killed and displaced thousands”, and fresh sanctions would be imposed in conjunction with Canada and the UK.

Australia has also announced sanctions.

The military has pledged to hold elections in August this year, but recently announced strict rules that suggest the polls will be neither free nor fair. The junta has sought to justify the coup by claiming, without evidence, of widespread fraud in the 2020 elections that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won in a landslide. Suu Kyi has since been sentenced to more than three decades in prison after a series of closed-door trials.

Protest leaders in Myanmar have called for a “silent strike” on Wednesday – encouraging people to stay home, and for the streets to fall silent – to signal opposition to the junta and its plans for elections. It is no longer safe to hold street protests in urban areas, due to military violence.

Images published by local media on Wednesday morning showed banners hanging from bridges in Yangon, calling for people to join the “revolution”. Activists have asked people to close their businesses for several hours, starting at 10am.

A pro-military rally was also expected to march through Yangon. The US embassy in the city has warned of “increased anti-regime activity and violence” in the days around the anniversary.

The sanctions announced by Canada and the UK on Wednesday target the export, sale, supply or shipment of aviation fuel to Myanmar. The UK measures were focused on companies and individuals associated with the Asia Sun group, which it said “supplies fuel to the Myanmar Air Force enabling its barbaric air raiding campaign”.

Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights Researcher Montse Ferrer described the measures by the Canadian and British governments as “an important step towards ending companies’ contribution to the military’s war crimes”.

“Until now, the inaction of governments has allowed the Myanmar military to use imported aviation fuel to launch airstrikes that have devastated families and terrorized civilians. While the companies targeted by the UK are key players in the aviation fuel industry in Myanmar, countries must take action on the entire industry to stop the flow of aviation fuel,” said Ferrer.

Ferrer said countries should also follow Canada in suspending the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer – including transit, trans-shipment and brokering – of aviation fuel to Myanmar.

The US sanctions target the senior leadership of Myanmar’s Ministry of Energy, Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), its air force, as well as an arms dealer and a family member of a previously designated business associate of the military. The US also sanctioned the Union Electoral Commission.

Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was concerned by the military’s apparent intention to hold elections “amid intensifying aerial bombardment and burning of civilian houses, along with ongoing arrests, intimidation and harassment of political leaders, civil society actors and journalists”.