US imposes sanctions against Myanmar officials

Washington, May 18 (IANS) The US Department of Treasury on Monday announced fresh sanctions against Myanmar's State Administration Council and more than a dozen senior officials.The Treasury said in a statement that it had blacklisted 16 individuals connected to the military, including four members of the State Administration Council, three adult children of previously designated military officials, and nine senior government officials, the Xinhua news agency reported.The statement accused the State Administration Council of being "created by the military to support its unlawful overthrow of the democratically elected civilian government."A one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar on Feb. 1 this year, and the state power was handed over to the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, chair of the newly formed State Administration Council.
--IANS int/rs