Australia strikes five Myanmar generals with sanctions, government and the economy

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 – 10:30

[SYDNEY] The Australian government unveiled on Tuesday sanctions against five officers of the powerful Myanmar army accused of overseeing the barbaric violence against members of the Rohingya ethnic group.

Following similar actions by the United States and the European Union, Australia announced the freezing of officer assets, including a lieutenant-general, who commanded a group of special operations suspected of being causing atrocities.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the officers – Aung Kyaw Zaw, Maung Maung Soe, Aung Aung, Than Oo and Khin Maung Soe were "responsible for human rights violations committed by units under their command" .

The five people, some of whom later reportedly resigned, will also be banned from traveling to Australia.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingyas have been forced out of their homes in the Rakhine State of southwestern Myanmar since 2016.

The campaign was marked by numerous extrajudicial killings, mass rapes and village fires by security forces.

AFP