N/A

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202500822

Lieutenant General Than Hlaing is a member of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw). He was appointed Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Chief of Police on 2 February 2021. 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. Appointed by the SAC, Lieutenant General Than Hlaing is engaged in 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. Additionally, police forces acting under the authority of Lieutenant General Than Hlaing have committed serious human rights violations since 1 February 2021, killing civilian and unarmed protestors, restricting freedom of assembly and of expression, arbitrary arrests and detention of opposition leaders and opponents of the coup. As Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Chief of Police, Lieutenant General Than Hlaing is directly responsible for decision making concerning repressive policies and violent actions committed by police against peaceful demonstrators and is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Myanmar/Burma.

(Date of UN designation: 2021-03-22)

2025-04-28

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.