[Human rights groups and experts have accused the military in Myanmar, also known as Burma, of waging a premeditated campaign against the Rohingya, disputing its explanation that it was merely responding to militant attacks on police posts. The army’s weeks-long clearance operation in Rakhine resulted in allegations of rape, indiscriminate killing and the torching of Rohingya homes.]
By Shibani Mahtani, Reporter
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A Myanmar border guard
police officer patrols along the country’s boundary with
Bangladesh in June. (Phyo Hein Kyaw/AFP/Getty Images)
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HONG
KONG — The U.S. Treasury
Department on Friday imposed sanctions on three Myanmar military commanders and
a border guard police commander, along with two military units, for their
involvement in “ethnic cleansing” against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.
It was the firmest U.S. action against the
Myanmar military since it launched a brutal campaign against the minority group
about a year ago.
The move comes as the State Department
readies a comprehensive report on atrocities in Rakhine last August. The study could
include findings on whether the military committed crimes against humanity or
genocide against the Rohingya.
Human rights groups and experts have accused
the military in Myanmar, also known as Burma, of waging a premeditated campaign
against the Rohingya, disputing its explanation that it was merely responding
to militant attacks on police posts. The army’s weeks-long clearance operation
in Rakhine resulted in allegations of rape, indiscriminate killing and the
torching of Rohingya homes.
The three military commanders, Aung Kyaw Zaw,
Khin Maung Soe and Khin Hlaing, and the border guard police commander, San
Lwin, were sanctioned for their roles in leading campaigns against ethnic
minority communities, the Treasury Department said in a press release. In
addition to the campaign in Rakhine, the military has “used many of the same
tactics against a number of other ethnic and religious minority groups,” the
department said, citing “extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances,
arbitrary arrests and torture against civilians.” Khin Hlaing was specifically
sanctioned for his role in Shan state, in the country’s north, in actions
against ethnic Kachin and Chinese minorities.
The Treasury Department also sanctioned two
entire military units — the 99th and 33rd light infantry divisions — in a rare
move. Both were designated for “engaging in serious human rights abuse,” the
department said. Soldiers of the 33rd Light Infantry Division participated in
last August’s campaign against the Rohingya and were accused of firing on
fleeing villagers and raping women.
“Treasury is sanctioning units and leaders
overseeing this horrific behavior as part of a broader U.S. government strategy
to hold accountable those responsible for such wide-scale human suffering,”
said Sigal Mandelker, treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
“The U.S. government is committed to ensuring that Burmese military units and
leaders reckon with and put a stop to these brutal acts.”
In a statement Friday, the Myanmar embassy in
Washington said it was working closely with the United States to “promote
friendship and cooperation between the two countries.”
“The Government of Myanmar condemns all human
rights violations and unlawful violence,” the statement said, adding that
security forces have been instructed to exercise restraint in their operations.
“No one is above the law in present Myanmar and those who breach the law will
be brought to justice.”
Several people familiar with the matter, who
discussed it on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to
speak publicly, said the Treasury Department for months has had the names of
Myanmar military commanders responsible for actions against the Rohingya. But
the United States has been slower than other Western nations to respond to the
atrocities while it determines the most appropriate foreign policy response.
Washington has been weighing the risk that
sanctions or tougher actions against Myanmar would push the country closer to
China, its neighbor to the north. The military’s actions against the Rohingya
have boosted its popularity within the country, and Myanmar’s de facto civilian
leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has not spoken out strongly against the atrocities.
Canada and the European Union sanctioned seven
Myanmar military and police leaders in June over similar accusations. Stronger
action against Myanmar from Congress, meanwhile, has stalled as Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has blocked any punitive action that could be
perceived as directed toward Suu Kyi. Provisions that would bar U.S.
cooperation with or assistance to Myanmar’s military and impose sanctions on
generals overwhelmingly passed the House as an amendment to the National
Defense Authorization Act, but they were left out of the final bill because of
opposition from McConnell, people familiar with the negotiations said.
Matthew Smith, who leads the advocacy group
Fortify Rights, said Friday’s announcement was a “welcomed and useful start.”
Fortify Rights recently published a report charging that the Myanmar military’s
actions in Rakhine were a result of deliberate and meticulous planning.
“Certain members of Congress who want to
protect Suu Kyi should understand that there’s no alternative to holding
perpetrators accountable in the face of genocide and mass atrocities,” Smith
said. “Military impunity is one of Myanmar’s most significant problems, and Suu
Kyi stands in the way of fixing it.”
Fortify Rights, Amnesty International and
other rights groups argue that sanctions must include the commander in chief of
Myanmar’s military, Min Aung Hlaing.
“Responsibility extends to the highest levels
of the chain of command — so, too, should justice and accountability,”
Francisco Bencosme, Asia-Pacific advocacy manager at Amnesty International,
said in a statement. “That includes Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander
in Chief of the Myanmar military.”
Others, however, have argued that sanctions —
which block their targets’ assets in the United States and prevent U.S.
businesses from working with them — will not harm the Myanmar’s army, which has
few U.S. holdings.
“Sanctions will not affect the military,”
said a former high-ranking Myanmar army official, speaking on the condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. He argued that punitive
actions, including prosecution at the International Criminal Court, would only
harden its position.
“If you push the military too hard, they will
behave in a much more extreme way — and then China will be very happy,” he
added.
Carol Morello in Washington contributed to
this report.
