US hits Yangon

Washington: The United States targeted Myanmar’s police chief and an army special operations commander with sanctions on Monday over the government’s deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

The US Treasury placed sanctions on Police Chief Than Hlaing and Lieutenant General Aung Soe, saying both were responsible for using lethal force that has left scores dead in recent weeks.

The protesters have taken to the streets in large numbers to oppose the military’s seizure of power in January. The Treasury noted that at the outset of the protests, security forces had used non-lethal force to counter demonstrators.

But since Than Hlaing was made police chief and deputy home affairs minister on February 2, "Burma’s police have engaged in brutal acts of violence against pro-democracy protesters," it said.

Aung Soe, it said, was responsible for sending in troops to confront protesters using battlefield weapons and tactics, "demonstrating that lethal force is being used in a planned, premeditated, and coordinated manner against the anti-coup protests."

The sanctions also named two army infantry divisions involved in putting down the protests. The sanctions seek to block those named from doing business with Americans and accessing the global financial system, and freezes any assets they might have under US jurisdiction.