The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions against companies and individuals helping the jet fuel procurement of Myanmar’s military junta on the back of reports that it has been launching deadly airstrikes on civilian crowds.
The sanctions issued Wednesday by the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control named Shoon Energy Pte Ltd, PEI Energy Pte Ltd and PEIA Pte Ltd, holding companies that are all based in Singapore, as involved in the junta’s jet fuel procurement.
OFAC also identified two individuals, Khin Phyu Win and Zaw Min Tun, as parties to the fuel supply.
Earlier in June, the U.S. Department of State said it has imposed sanctions on two state-owned banks, Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank, for helping the military regime fund its arms and jet fuel procurement. According to department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the junta used offshore accounts to access international markets via the two banks.
In a related development, the United States Mission to the United Nations has released an official statement expressing deep concern over the unrelenting violence across Myanmar.
The statement, which was issued following a Security Council closed consultation meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation, mentions in particular the systematic discrimination in Rakhine State.
The mission also reiterated its support to the call of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations for an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and a dialogue among all parties.