U.S., Canada impose additional sanctions on Myanmar

The U.S. imposed sanctions Tuesday on Myanmar's state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).

The move is aimed at curbing the ruling junta's "access to resources and revenue to prevent further atrocities," State Department spokesman Mathew Miller said on X.

The action prohibits certain activities by American citizens including the provision, exportation or re-exportation, directly or indirectly, of financial services to or for the benefit of MOGE starting on Dec. 15, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

Some financial services prohibited in the action include loans, insurance and investments.

Canada, in coordination with the UK and the U.S., also imposed sanctions against 39 individuals and 22 entities under the "Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations."

"These additional measures come as part of a broader strategy seeking to exert coordinated, sequenced and targeted pressure on the Myanmar military regime while mitigating adverse impacts on civilians," the Canadian government said in a statement.

The sanctions came in response to the 2021 military coup in Myanmar amid calls from human rights groups to impose sanctions on MOGE.