The United States imposed sanctions on Myanmar's military and police on Friday over the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.
“Burmese security forces have engaged in violent campaigns against ethnic minority communities across Burma, including ethnic cleansing, massacres, sexual assault, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights abuses,” the US Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Sigal Mandelker was quoted by Reuters as saying.
“Treasury is sanctioning units and leaders overseeing this horrific behaviour as part of a broader U.S. government strategy to hold accountable those responsible for such wide-scale human suffering,” Mr Mandelker said.
Sanctions have been imposed on three military commanders, border police commanders and two army units, the 33rd and 99th Light Infantry Divisions.
The sanctions prohibit US citizens from engaging in business deals with the individuals, as well as freezing the individuals' assets and prohibiting them from entering the US.
