U.S., Britain, Canada issue new Myanmar sanctions

The United States, Britain and Canada Monday, imposed sanctions against additional officials in Myanmar, in measures timed to mark one year since the military seized power and plunged the country into chaos.  
A joint action by the three nations, who have all already imposed sanctions on Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and other members of the junta, targeted judicial officials involved in prosecutions against deposed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.  
Washington also slapped sanctions on a directorate responsible for buying weapons for the junta from overseas, an alleged arms dealer and a company which provides financial support to the junta.  
The military has detained Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party since the Feb. 1, 2021, coup. It complained of fraud in a November 2020 election that the NLD won in a landslide. Monitors said the vote reflected the will of the country’s people.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the coordinated action demonstrated international support for Myanmar’s people and would “further promote accountability for the coup and the violence perpetrated by the regime,” citing nearly 1,500 people killed and 10,000 detained by a military seeking to consolidate control.  
A U.N. team of investigators on Myanmar said Monday, it was preparing files that could facilitate prosecutions against those responsible for atrocities committed over the past year. “Those who are considering committing crimes should be aware that serious international crimes have no statute of limitations,” Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Geneva-based Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, said in a statement.  WASHINGTON, Jan 31 Reuters