Thein Soe

Myanmar

Chair of Union Election Commission

1952-01-23

Kani, Sagaing, Myanmar

Male

Myanmar

U

U Thein Soe was appointed by the Commander-in-Chief as Chair of the, reconstituted, Union Election Commission (UEC) on 3 February 2021, two days after the military seized power in a coup. The Chair of the UEC is responsible for overseeing activity relating to elections in Myanmar and the conduct of political parties. As Chair of the UEC U Thein Soe has been involved in undermining democracy in his attempts to override the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar at the November 2020 polls, in particular on 27 July 2021 he passed a decree which annulled the November 2020 election results on the unsubstantiated grounds of widespread electoral fraud. Further and/or alternatively he is carrying out activities on behalf of the State Administration Council (designated under the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021) and/or Min Aung Hlaing (the Commander-in-Chief and Chairman of the SAC) (designated under the Global Human Rights (Sanctions) Regulations 2020 and Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021.

UK

Asset freeze, Travel Ban, Director Disqualification Sanction

Retired Major General The Director Disqualification Sanction was imposed on 09/04/2025.

2022-01-31

UK

The Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021

UK country specific

Myanmar

Asset freeze and making available provisions, Trade sanctions, Travel bans

• The Regulations impose financial sanctions through a targeted asset freeze on designated persons and prohibitions on making funds or economic resources available. This involves the freezing of funds and economic resources (non-monetary assets, such as property or vehicles) of designated persons and ensuring that funds and economic resources are not made available to or for the benefit of designated persons or entities, either directly or indirectly. • The effect of the Regulations is to impose a travel ban on persons who are designated by the Secretary of State for the purposes of being made subject to immigration sanctions under the Sanctions Act. • Trade sanctions.

The Burma (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 came fully into force on 31 December 2020. They are intended to ensure that certain financial, trade and immigration sanctions relating to Myanmar continue to operate effectively. You should also review the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 and the Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 to find out any amendments made to the Regulations. This sanctions regime is aimed at encouraging the Myanmar security forces to comply with international human rights law and to respect human rights. These regulations have replaced, with substantially the same effect, relevant existing EU legislation and related UK regulations.

Licensing and exception provisions are contained in Part 6 of the Regulations.