The Council of the EU has decided to impose restrictive measures against 11 individuals and four entities for violating and abusing human rights in several countries around the world.

These sanctions indicate the EU’s firm persistence to stand for human rights and to take measures against those violations.

The targeted cases of violation include massive authoritarian detentions of Uyghurs in China, oppression in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, extrajudicial executions and forced disappearance in Libya, torture against the LGBTI community, and political rivals in Russia, along with summary and executions in South Sudan and Eritrea.

In a press release, the Council announced that among the banned individuals were also people accountable for the military takeover organized in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, and for the police and military oppression against peaceful protesters.

“Ten of the eleven persons targeted belong to the highest ranks of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw), including the Tatmadaw’s Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing, and Deputy-Commander-in-Chief, Soe Win,” the press release notes that the new Chairperson of the Union Election Commission responsible for Myanmar’s 2020 elections results’ cancellation has also been added to the list.

The Council expressed that under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime established on December 7, 2020, the restrictive measures introduced against the eleven individuals include a travel ban and asset freeze.

The travel ban bars them from entering or passing through the territory of the EU, whereas the asset freeze covers the financial means and funds of the listed individuals in the EU territory.

Additionally, EU businesses and citizens are strictly prohibited from providing funds, directly or indirectly, to the listed entities and individuals.

The sanctions that took place on March 22 represent the EU’s strong reaction against the unlawful overthrow of the government elected democratically and the cruel oppression by the party against peaceful demonstrators.

The Council asserted that the EU would review all of their policy options, such as additional restrictive measures towards economic institutions controlled or owned by Myanmar’s military.

The EU insists that they will continue to support the citizens of Myanmar as well as the democratic transition of the country, StudyinPoland.Info reports.

The already existing EU measures regarding such actions will continue to be effective.

The measures include the prohibition of weapon holding and other equipment that could possibly be used for oppression purposes, a ban on exporting dual-purpose goods, as well as a ban on military training and cooperation with the Tatmadaw.

The imposed measures also compromise the designation of 14 individuals for the cruelty against the population of Rohingya. Coupled with the new designations, the total number of listed persons reaches 25.