Europe: The European Union has decided to impose sanctions against 11 people involved in the Myanmar coup. This is the most important response of European countries against the coup on 1 February.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borel made this announcement before the start of the meeting of the Union foreign ministers in Brussels. He also said that the situation in Myanmar is going to deteriorate. The names of those against whom sanctions are to be imposed will be made public only when the ministers of the member countries of the Union formally take a decision on them.
The Sangh is also trying to target the businesses run by the Myanmar army, and more stringent steps are likely to be implemented in this regard. Union ambassadors have told Reuters that army major Myanmar Economic Holdings Private Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation could be targeted. European investors and banks can be prevented from doing business with these companies.
The roots of these companies are spread throughout the economy of Myanmar. They range from mining, production and food items to hotels, telecom and banking. They have a place among the largest taxpayers of the country, and when the country was open under democratic liberalization, these companies also wanted to partner with foreign companies.
In 2019, a fact-finding mission of the United Nations recommended sanctions against both these companies and their controlled companies. The United Nations had said that these companies provide additional sources of money to the army, which the army can use for human rights violations. The European Union has banned the arms trade against Myanmar. Since 2018, the Sangh has also taken steps against some senior officials of the Myanmar army.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Foreign Minister Haikko Maas has said that the targets of European Union sanctions are only those responsible for the violence on the streets. There is no intention to punish the common people. Maas told reporters in Brussels, “The number of murders has exceeded the tolerance limit, and that is why we will not be able to stop the ban.”
