After the Biden administration warned they would “take action” if Myanmar’s military officials proceeded with an “apparent coup against the country’s civilian leaders,” President Joe Biden has approved an executive order to impose sanctions.
Speaking on January 31, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: “The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition,” adding that the U.S. “will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed.”
Ten days later, President Biden said that he had “approved an executive order for new sanctions on those responsible for the military coup in Myanmar and he repeated demands for the generals to give up power and free civilian leaders,” and that the order enabled his administration “to immediately sanction the military leaders who directed the coup, their business interests as well as close family members.”
Speaking at the White House, Biden said that “We’re also going to impose strong exports controls. We’re freezing U.S. assets that benefit the Burmese government, while maintaining our support for health care, civil society groups, and other areas that benefit the people of Burma directly.”
“We’ll be ready to impose additional measures, and we’ll continue to work with our international partners to urge other nations to join us in these efforts,” the president continued.
“I again call on the Burmese military to immediately release the democratic political leaders and activists,” he said. “The military must relinquish power it’s seized.”
According to the BBC, the “sanctions come as a woman who was shot in the head during protests against the coup fights for her life at a hospital in the capital Nay Pyi Taw.” Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing was reportedly hurt yesterday after police tried to disperse protesters, employing water cannons, rubber bullets, and live rounds. Street protests have broken out since last week’s coup, with tens of thousands in attendance.
Biden referenced those protests, saying “The people of Burma are making their voices heard and the world is watching. As protests grow, violence against those exerting their democratic rights is unacceptable and we’re going to keep calling it out.”
The BBC report added that Biden’s administration would identify the first round of targets of the sanctions this week.