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Bush Applies More Sanctions on Junta Leaders, Cronies
By Lalit K. Jha / New York October 20, 2007

US President George Bush on Friday announced additional strong sanctions against the leaders of the Burmese junta and their business cronies while warning that more sanctions would be applied if the military regime fails to make progress in moving toward democracy.
President George W. Bush [Photo: Reuters]In an executive order, Bush named 12 business cronies, including the Burmese business tycoon Tay Za, the owner of Air Bagan and other companies. The Treasury Department also designated 11 more leaders of the military junta to be placed under sanctions. The Commerce Department was also ordered to tighten its export control regulations for Burma.
Bush said Burmese authorities must match their promise of reconciliation with actions: “A good way to start would be to provide the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations access to political prisoners; to allow Aung San Suu Kyi and other detained leaders to communicate with one another; and to permit U.N. Special Envoy Gambari to enter their country immediately.”
Reconciliation requires that Burmese authorities release all political prisoners and begin negotiations with the democratic opposition under the auspices of the United Nations, Bush said.
The executive order issued named five businessmen to be included in the sanctions: the Burmese businessman Tay Za (managing director of Htoo Trading Company Limited; chairman of Air Bagan; and managing director of Pavo Trading); Htay Myint (chairman of Yuzana Company);Khin Shwe (president of Zay Gabar Company); and Pye Phyo Tay Za and Thidar Zaw; The companies included in the executive order are Htoo Trading Company, Pavo Trading, Air Bagan, Singapore and Air Bagan Limited, Burma; Htoo Wood Products; Yuzana Company Limited and Zaykabar Company.
The 11 individuals added to the sanction list by the Treasury Department are primarily members of the Burmese cabinet and the mayor of Rangoon.
These individuals include Brig-Gen Tin Naing Thein, the minister of commerce; Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, the minister of telecommunications, post and telegraph; Maj-Gen Saw Tun, the minister of construction; Dr. Chan Nyein, the minister of education; Col Zaw Min, the minister of electric power 1; Maj-Gen Hla Tun, the minister of finance and revenue; Maj-Gen Saw Lwin, the minister of industry 2; Soe Tha, the minister of national planning and economic development; U Thaung, the minister of science and technology and minister of labor; Dr. Kyaw Myint, the minister of health; and Brig-Gen Aung Thein Lin, the chairman of the Rangoon City Development Committee and the mayor of Rangoon.
“We will continue to designate and expose those responsible,” said Adam Szubin, director of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control. Any assets of these individuals within US jurisdiction would be frozen, and US citizens are prohibited from transacting business with them.
Last month the US tightened existing economic sanctions on the leaders of Burma's regime and imposed an expanded visa ban on those responsible for violations of human rights, as well as their family members. The Treasury Department designated 14 top leaders of the Burmese regime for sanctions, including Snr-Gen Than Shwe and his deputy Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye. The State Department also added the names of 260 Burmese officials and their family members to the visa ban list.
Sanctions against Burma were first imposed in 1997 and augmented in 2003, when Bush signed the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act to freeze assets of senior Burmese officials.
“We will continue to review our policies and consider additional measures if Burma’s leaders do not end the brutal repression of their own people whose only offense are the desire to live in freedom. Business as usual is unacceptable,” Bush said.
In his remarks, he praised the European Union, Australia and Japan for applying sanctions on the Burmese regime.
“I commend nations such as Japan that have curtailed their assistance to Burma in response to the atrocities," he said. "I appreciate nations such as Singapore and the Philippines and Indonesia, who have spoken out against the atrocities.”
He also urged India and China to do more. “I ask other countries to review their own laws and policies, especially Burma's closest neighbors—China, India, and others in the region.”
Praising the people of Burma, Bush said: “They are appealing for our help. We must not turn a deaf ear to their cries. They do have many friends around the world—including Laura (Bush). I am proud of Laura for all she has done to awaken the conscience of the world to the plight of the Burmese people. I believe no nation can forever suppress its own people. And we are confident that the day is coming when freedom's tide will reach the shores of Burma.”
The world has been inspired by the courage of the Burmese people, Bush said: “Ordinary men and women have taken to the streets in peaceful marches to demand their freedom and call for democratic change.”
“Monks have been beaten and killed. Thousands of pro-democracy protestors have been arrested. And Burma's dictator, Than Shwe, continues to hold captive the leader of Burma's largest democratic party—Aung San Suu Kyi.”
Earlier, a White House spokesperson said the administration believes that tightening sancitons on the junta's leaders and their cronies—including those who help them through funding their activities or helping with their bank transactions or buying their luxury goods to pass on to them—will send a message to all those who work for the junta.
“We had a condition that they would designate somebody who would liaison with Aung San Suu Kyi and others in order to get to a peaceful transition to democracy," said the spokesperson. "They did designate somebody, but that person has not done anything to hold any of these talks.”
The sanctions were welcomed by Rep Tom Lantos, the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.
On Thursday, Lantos introduced the Block Burmese JADE Act in the House of Representative, which, if passed, would prevent the laundering of gemstones through third countries to be sold to the US.
The bill would ban the importation of Burmese gems into the US, prevent Burma from using US financial institutions via third countries to launder the funds of the leaders or their immediate family members and prohibit Burmese officials involved in the violent suppression of protesters from obtaining visas to the United States.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the UN secretary-general said the UN would not issue any more statements on Burma until Ibrahim Gambari, the UN envoy, submits a report based on his consultations.
Gambari is currently on a trip to the region visiting countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, China and Japan before returning to New York to report to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.