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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0998&from=EN

Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun is the Press Team Leader of the State Administrative Council and the Deputy Minister for Information. He was the former Head of the Tatmadaw’s True News Information Team. On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw), led by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, staged a coup in Myanmar by setting aside the results of the elections held on 8 November 2020 and by overthrowing the democratically elected government. As part of the coup, Vice-President Myint Swe, functioning as Acting President, declared a state of emergency on 1 February and transferred the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the state to the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. On 2 February, the SAC was established to exercise those powers, preventing the democratically elected government from fulfilling its mandate. He was appointed SAC Press Team Leader on 5 February 2021 and Deputy Minister for Information on 7 February 2021 by the State Administrative Council (SAC) led by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. As State Administration Council’s spokesperson, Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun has presided over all the SAC’s press conferences, which aim to relay and justify SAC’s narratives over the coup and of the junta’s actions since then. As Government Deputy Minister of Information, he bears direct responsibility for state-owned media and thus for the broadcast and publication of official news. Since the nominations of Chit Naing as Minister of Information and Zaw Min Tung as his deputy, the newspapers have been filled with pro-military articles. Hence, Zaw Min Tun bears responsibility for junta propaganda and spreading disinformation through state media that are not reporting accurately. He also bears responsibility for decisions that led to the crackdown on Myanmar media. This includes directives, which ordered independent media not to use ‘coup’, ‘military regime’ and ‘junta’, and which has seen local news outlets banned in the country and domestic and foreign journalists being arrested. In his statements, he publicly supports the military coup. He is therefore responsible for undermining democracy in Myanmar/Burma by limiting press freedom and access of information both on-line and off-line. As member of both the SAC and the junta government, Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun is engaged in and provide support to actions and policies undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar/Burma, as well as actions that threaten the peace, security and stability of Myanmar/Burma.

(Date of UN designation: 2021-06-21)

2021-06-21

EU

Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Myanmar/Burma

EU country specific

Myanmar

Asset freeze and prohibition to make funds available, Restrictions on admission

- All assets of the persons and entities listed in Annexes IV of Council Regulation (EU) 401/2013 should be frozen. It is also prohibited to make any funds or assets directly or indirectly available to them. The list of persons and entities concerned is included in the Financial Sanctions Database (linked). - Member States shall enforce travel restrictions on persons listed in the Annex of Council Decision 2013/184/CFSP.

In view of the absence of progress towards democratization and of the violation of human rights in Myanmar/Burma, on 28 October 1996, the EU reaffirmed the restrictive measures already in place, which included an arms embargo, and introduced additional ones, such as travel restrictions and the suspension of high-level bilateral governmental visits to Myanmar/Burma. In response to the positive developments and as a means of encouraging changes to continue, on 22 April 2013 the EU lifted all restrictive measures against Myanmar/Burma with the exception of the arms embargo and the embargo on equipment which might be used for internal repression. However, reacting to the systematic human rights abuses perpetrated by Myanmar/Burma military and security forces, in particular in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states, the EU Foreign Ministers in February 2018 called for strengthened restrictive measures. Accordingly, in the course of 2018 the Council of the EU adopted additional measures that included an extension of the embargo on arms and equipment which might be used for internal repression, as well as targeted restrictive measures against senior military officers of the Myanmar armed forces. Derogations to the restrictive measures are possible, including the delivery of humanitarian aid. On 21 April 2022, the Council of the EU decided to renew the restrictive measures until 30 April 2023.