Rohingya crisis: US imposes travel restrictions on Myanmar military chief
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Myanmar military’s commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing./Photo: Collected
The United States has banned Myanmar military’s commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and other senior military leaders from travelling to the US for gross human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings in northern Rakhine State during the “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingyas.
“With this announcement, the United States is the first government to publicly take action with respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese (Myanmar) military,” US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Department of State publicly designated the individuals Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, Brigadier General Than Oo and Brigadier General Aung Aung; and their immediate family members for the named individuals’ responsibility for gross human rights violations and killings.
“We designated these individuals based on credible information of these commanders’ involvement in gross violations of human rights,” Secretary Pompeo said adding that the law requires him to publicly or privately designate such officials and their family members.
He said the Department of State is focused on policies that will change behavior and promote accountability. “We believe this action is one step toward achieving these goals.”
The US Secretary of State said they remain “concerned” that the Myanmar government has taken no actions to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and abuses.
He said there are continued reports of the Myanmar military committing human rights violations and abuses throughout the country.
“One egregious example of the continued and severe lack of accountability for the military and its senior leadership was the recent disclosure that Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing ordered the release of the soldiers convicted of the extrajudicial killings at Inn Din during the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya,” Secretary Pompeo said.
