On 22 March 2021, the European Union ("EU") designated a total of 22 individuals and 4 entities as subject to an asset freeze under the EU sanctions regimes relating to Global Human Rights Sanctions and Myanmar/Burma.
Global Human Rights Sanctions designations
Following the EU’s first use of its Global Human Rights Sanctions ("GHRS") regime earlier this month in response to the imprisonment of Aleksey Navalny,1 the EU once again imposed GHRS-related sanctions, on 22 March 2021. This time, the sanctions aimed to address deemed human rights violations in China, North Korea, Libya, Eritrea, South Sudan, and Chechnya by designating eleven individuals and four entities.2
Myanmar/Burma designations
Also on 22 March 2021, the EU expanded the designation criteria and imposed new designations on eleven individuals under its sanctions regime in relation to Myanmar/Burma. The new designation criteria allows EU sanctions to be imposed on parties relating to the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) and activities undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar/Burma.3 The vast majority of designated individuals are high-ranked officials of the Myanmar Armed Forces.4
All of the parties designated on 22 March 2021 are subject to an asset freeze, with individuals also facing travel bans. EU persons are henceforth prohibited from making funds or economic resources available to these listed parties, directly or indirectly, unless allowed under one of the limited exceptions. A number of the designated parties, listed below, were designated by the United States and the United Kingdom on the same day (sanctions were also imposed in Canada).
|
Name of party designated by the EU as of 22 March 2021
|
Title/Address
|
Country/Regime
|
| ZHU Hailuna |
Former Deputy Head of the 13th People’s Congress of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) |
China (GHRS) |
| WANG Junzhengab |
Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and Deputy Secretary of the XUAR Party Committee; XPCC Political commissar and CEO of the China Xinjian Group |
China (GHRS) |
| WANG Mingshana |
Member of the Standing Committee of the XUAR Party Committee and Secretary of the XUAR Political and Legal Affairs Committee |
China (GHRS) |
| CHEN Mingguoab |
Director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB) and Vice-Chairman of the XUAR People’s Government |
China (GHRS) |
| Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Public Security Bureaua |
106 Guangming Road, Urumqi, XUAR |
China (GHRS) |
| JONG Kyong-thaek |
Minister of State Security |
North Korea (GHRS) |
| RI Yong Gil |
Minister of Social Security |
North Korea (GHRS) |
| North Korea’s Central Public Prosecutor’s Office |
|
North Korea (GHRS) |
| Mohammed Khalifa AL-KANI |
Head of the Kaniyat Militia |
Libya (GHRS) |
| Abderrahim AL-KANI |
Member of the Kaniyat Militia |
Libya (GHRS) |
| Kaniyat Militia (f.k.a. 7th Brigade, Tarhuna 7th Brigade, Tarhuna Brigade) |
|
Libya (GHRS) |
| Aiub Vakhaevich KATAEV |
Head of Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in the city of Argun in the Chechen Republic |
Russia (GHRS) |
| Abuzaid (Abuzayed) Dzhandarovich VISMURADOV |
Commander of the Special Rapid-Response Unit Team "Terek", Deputy Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic, unofficial bodyguard of the Head of the Chechen Republic |
Russia (GHRS) |
| Gabriel Moses LOKUJO |
Major General of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) |
South Sudan (GHRS) |
| National Security Office of the Eritrean Government |
|
Eritrea (GHRS) |
| Min Aung Hlaing |
Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw), Chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) and member of the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) |
Myanmar |
| Myint Swe |
Lieutenant General of the Tatmadaw |
Myanmar |
| Soe Win |
Deputy-Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw, Vice-Chairman of the SAC and member of the NDSC |
Myanmar |
| Sein Win |
Lieutenant General of the Tatmadaw |
Myanmar |
| Thein Soe |
Chairman of the Union Election Commission |
Myanmar |
| Mya Tun Oo |
General of the Tatmadaw, Minister of Defence and member of the SAC |
Myanmar |
| Dwe Aung Lin |
Lieutenant of the Tatmadaw and Secretary of the SAC |
Myanmar |
| Ye Win Oo |
Lieutenant General of the Tatmadaw and Joint Secretary of the SAC |
Myanmar |
| Maung Maung Kyaw |
General of the Tatmadaw and member of the SAC |
Myanmar |
| Moe Myint Tun |
Lieutenant General of the Tatmadaw and SAC member |
Myanmar |
| Than Hlaingb |
Lieutenant General of the Tatmadaw, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Chief of Police |
Myanmar |
a Party was also designated by the UK on the same day.
b Party was also designated and added to the US Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Parties (SDN) List on the same day.
1 See White & Case alert of 4 March 2021.
2 See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/478 of 22 March 2021.
3 See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/479 of 22 March 2021.
4 See Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/480 of 22 March 2021.
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