US says considering sanctions over Rohingya issue

The US said it has considered imposing further sanctions against Myanmar and that it took steps to withdraw help from military units and officers involved in violence against Rohingya Muslims that has triggered a massive exodus.

In a statement, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said “We express our gravest concern with recent events in Rakhine state and the violent, traumatic abuses Rohingya and other communities have endured”, Al Hurra channel reported on Tuesday. 

The new sanctions would be added to the sanctions that had been imposed on the governmental forces of Myanmar including the US ban on all sales of their military hardware, Nauert noted.

Nauert added that the US is exploring accountability mechanisms available under US law, including Global Magnitsky targeted sanctions.

Since the outbreak of violence and military operations against Rohingya minority in Aug. 25, an estimated 603,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's western state of Rakhine into Bangladesh, according to the UN.

Source: MENA