October 19, 2007
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Treasury Continues to Pressure Burma's Regime

Action Targets Additional Senior Burmese Officials

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today is designating 11 additional senior Burmese Government officials, cutting them off from the U.S. financial system. Treasury's action follows President George W. Bush's announcement today of additional measures increasing U.S. sanctions against the military regime in Burma.

"The President has made clear that Burmese officials will be held to account for the violent oppression of their people," said Adam Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).  "Today's action targets eleven senior Burmese officials, and we will continue to designate and expose those responsible."

Treasury's action follows President George W. Bush's September 25, 2007, speech before the United Nations General Assembly in which he announced plans for tightened U.S. sanctions against the military regime in Burma. The Treasury Department subsequently designated 14 senior Burmese leaders on September 27, 2007.

Today's designations were made pursuant to Executive Order 13310, which authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to designate senior officials of the Government of Burma, the State Peace and Development Council of Burma (the military regime that rules Burma), the Union Solidarity and Development Association of Burma, or any of their successor organizations, as well as any individuals or entities that are owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, persons whose property or interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order. Executive Order 13310 also blocked property and interests in property of the four entities listed on its Annex, the State Peace and Development Council of Burma, and three banks controlled by the Government of Burma.

The Burmese government leaders designated today by OFAC are Brigadier General Tin Naing Thein, Minister of Commerce; Brigadier-General Thein Zaw, Minister of Telecommunications, Post, & Telegraph; Major-General Saw Tun, Minister of Construction; Dr. Chan Nyein, Minister of Education; Colonel Zaw Min, Minister of Electric Power 1; Major-General Hla Tun, Minister of Finance and Revenue; Major-General Saw Lwin, Minister of Industry 2; Soe Tha, Minister of National Planning and Economic Development; Thaung, Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Labor; Dr. Kyaw Myint, Minister of Health; and Brigadier-General Aung Thein Lin, Mayor and Chairman of Rangoon City Development Committee.

Treasury has previously designated 14 senior officials of the Government of Burma.  As a result of Treasury's designations, any assets these individuals and entities may have that are within U.S. jurisdiction must be frozen, and U.S. persons are prohibited from transacting or doing business with them.

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