Australia imposes curbs on Myanmar army’s top officers

SYDNEY: Australia on Tuesday slapped travel and financial sanctions on five top Myanmar military officers, accused of overseeing brutal violence against Rohingya Muslims by units under their command, following similar moves by the European Union and United States.

More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims led Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh last year, according to UN agencies, following a counter-insurgency operation launched by Myanmar’s military after attacks on security posts by militants in August last year.

A recent UN report accused Myanmar’s military of gang rapes and mass killings with “genocidal intent” and called for its commander-in-chief and ive generals to be prosecuted under international law.

Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya “terrorists” for most accounts of atrocities.

However, Australia, which has previously provided training for Myanmar’s army and refrained from imposing sanctions, on Tuesday responded to the UN report by targeting four of the men named, and one other senior commander.

“I have now imposed targeted inancial sanctions and travel bans against ive Myanmar military oficers responsible for human rights violations committed by units under their command,” Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

A separate document named the oficers; Aung Kyaw Zaw, Aung Aung, Maung Maung Soe, Than Oo and Khin Maung Soe. It said inancial dealings with them can now attract penalties of A$1.7 million ($1.2 million) for companies and 10 years jail for individuals.