WASHINGTON, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Department of Commerce on Thursday added Myanmar’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Home Affairs, and two commercial entities to its trade blacklist.
The Commerce Department also announced more restrictive export control measures against Myanmar.
The United States last month designated multiple Myanmar military leaders and blacklisted three entities related to the military or security forces of Myanmar.
A one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, along with other officials from the National League for Democracy (NLD), were detained by the military on Feb. 1.
The military had alleged that there was massive voting fraud in the country’s November 2020 general elections, which saw the NLD win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament.
Myanmar’s Union Election Commission dismissed the allegation.
In GENEVA, the UN rights chief said at least 54 people have been killed and over 1,700 detained since Myanmar’s Feb 1 coup, demanding that the military “stop murdering” protesters.
The comments come after the deadliest day of protests in Myanmar, with at least 38 dead Wednesday in rallies where security forces were seen firing into crowds.
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged security forces to “halt their vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters”.
“Myanmar’s military must stop murdering and jailing protesters,” she said in a statement.
“It is utterly abhorrent that security forces are firing live ammunition against peaceful protesters across the country,” she added.
Bachelet added that she was “also appalled at the documented attacks against emergency medical staff and ambulances attempting to provide care to those who have been injured”. — NNN-AGENCIES