The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on four Myanmar military leaders, including the commander-in-chief, in the toughest action taken yet by Washington for alleged human rights abuses against the Rohingya and other minorities.

The sanctions targeted military chief Min Aung Hlaing on the same day that Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, attended the first day of hearings at the UN's highest court in The Hague, where she will lead Myanmar's defence against the charge of genocide.

A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar drove more than 730,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Myanmar denied accusations of widespread abuses and said the military's actions were part of a "fight against terrorism".

The US Treasury Department said in a statement on Tuesday that Burmese military forces had committed "serious human rights abuse" under Min Aung Hlaing's command.

"During this time, members of ethnic minority groups were killed or injured by gunshot, often while fleeing, or by soldiers using large-bladed weapons; others were burned to death in their own houses," the statement said.

Source: Aljazeera

BDST: 1335 HRS, DEC 11, 2019
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