US hits Myanmar ministers, central bank chief with sanctions

WASHINGTON: The US Treasury slapped sanctions on 16 senior Myanmar officials and family members Monday, citing their support for the government's "violent and lethal attacks" against the country's pro-democracy movement.

Among those placed on the Treasury's blacklist were four members of the military junta's State Administration Council, seven ministers, the chairman of the military-controlled election commission, and the governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar.

Three others on the lists were children of members of the State Administration Council who had been sanctioned earlier in the wake of the February 1 coup overthrowing the elected government.

Since then the country has experienced protests and strikes which have been put down with force, leaving close to 800 dead, according to a local monitoring group.

Myanmar's military regime "is violently repressing the pro-democracy movement in the country and is responsible for the ongoing violent and lethal attacks against the people of Burma, including the killing of children," the Treasury said in a statement.

The Treasury said that Canada and Britain were also announcing similar sanctions on members of the junta.