The Council of the European Union declared on Monday a new round of sanctions on 10 individuals from Myanmar, accusing them of “undermining democracy and the rule of law, repressive decisions and serious human rights violations.” It also imposed punitive measures on two military-controlled companies, Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited (MEC).
“The adopted sanctions specifically target the economic interests of Myanmar’s military regime, which is responsible for the overthrow of Burma’s democratically elected government. Sanctions are crafted in such a way to avoid undue harm to the people of Myanmar.” The EU stated its actions aim at “effecting change in the junta’s leadership” and send “a clear message to the military leadership: continuing on the current path will only bring further suffering and will never grant any legitimacy.”