https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022R2177

Lieutenant General Aung Soe is the Commander of Bureau Special Operation 4 (BSO 4) of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) since January 2021. Previously, he was the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs until March 2018, then the Chief of Bureau Special Operation 6. As commander of BSO 4, Aung Soe commands and controls military forces of the Coastal Command in Tanintharyi Division and the South Eastern Command in Mon and Karen State. Military forces under his command committed serious human rights violations, crimes and atrocities, including killings, ground and aerial attacks against civilians, illegitimate arrests and the use of artillery fire. Kayin/Karen state, one of the regions under Aung Soe’s command, recorded 3 993 violent incidents from the coup until July 2022. In his capacity as Commander of BSO 4, he is responsible for serious human rights violations, for activities undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar/Burma, as well as for actions that threaten the peace, security and stability of Myanmar/Burma.

(Date of UN designation: 2022-11-08)

2022-11-08

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.