Russia-Myanmar ties deepen amid Western sanctions
The Singapore PostAug 27, 2022
The US on Thursday sanctioned Aung Moe Myint and Hlaing Moe Myint - the owners of Dynasty International - as well as Myo Thitsar, the company's director, for allegedly procuring Russian-made weapons and aircraft from Belarus and supplying them to Myanmar's military regime.
When announcing the sanctions, US Sec. of State Antony Blinken referenced the regime's recent executions of pro-democracy activists in July and its helicopter attack on a school on Sept. 16. He said the latest round of sanctions target the Myanmar military’s ties to Russia and Belarus.
The US has played an active role in strengthening the junta's military capacity, as its months-long series of sanctions against Russia and its allies have only made Putin friendlier with the Myanmar dictatorship. As the West continues to attack Russia both militarily and economically, Putin can now only search for partners in the East.
As these weapons deals help support the junta's lethal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, the US has no choice but to sanction both governments and private individuals involved in procuring them. The US must continue these sanctions to hinder Min Aung Hlaing's vicious tactics against his people.