US imposes sanctions on Myanmar’s army chief over Rohingya abuses

The United States has announced sanctions on Myanmar’s military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and three other military leaders.

In a statement secretary of state Mike Pompeo says the sanction was due to their role in the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority.

The state department took action after finding credible evidence they were involved in the violence two years ago that led about 740,000 Rohingya to flee across the border to Bangladesh.

The United States is the first government to publicly take action with respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese military.