Washington: The United States on Friday imposed sanctions related to broad human rights on dozens of people and bound entities in China, Myanmar, North Korea and Bangladesh, and added Chinese-made intelligence companies to the investment black list.
Canada and Britain joined the United States in forcing sanctions related to human rights violations in Myanmar while Washington also imposed the first new sanctions in North Korea under the government of President Joe Biden and targeting Myanmar’s military entity, among others, marking human rights days.
“Our actions today, especially those in partnership with Britain and Canada, sends messages that democracy throughout the world will act against those who abuse the state’s strength to cause suffering and repression,” Wally Adeyemo Treasury Secretary said.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington condemned the US to move as “serious interference in China’s internal affairs” and “normal violations of basic norms governing international relations.” A spokesman for the Embassy Liu Pengyu said he would do “serious damage to China-US relations” and urged Washington to cancel the decision.
The North Korean mission at the United Nations and the Washington Embassy from Myanmar and Bangladesh did not immediately respond to a comment request.
The steps are the latest in time-term sanctions coincide with the virtual two-day Summit for Democracy, where it announces the initiative to improve democracy throughout the world and support for pro-democracy laws in the United States.
Biden said on Friday that the commitment made by some of the more than 100 world leaders at the summit would push back the rise of autocracy throughout the world, fighting corruption and promoting human rights.
“This will help fertile land seeds for democracy bloom throughout the world,” he said in a speech that closed the summit. Treasury on Friday added a sensetime of intelligence companies made in China to the list of “Chinese company-industry companies,” accusing to develop a face recognition program that can determine ethnic targets, with an ethnic edicary focus. As a result, the company will be under investment prohibition for US investors.
Sensetime is close to selling 1.5 billion shares in the initial public offering (IPO).
After the news restrictions on Treasury earlier this week, the company began discussing the fate offered by $ 767 million offered with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, two people with direct knowledge of the problem.
Sensetime said in a statement on Saturday that “opposed the term and the allegations had been made in connection with it,” calling “unfounded” charges.
“We have fulfilled the applicable laws and regulations in connection with our business in all material things in the jurisdiction where we do business,” said the company.
Experts and UN rights groups estimate more than one million people, especially Uyghurs and other Muslim minority members have been detained in recent years in a broad camp system in the western region of Xinjiang in China.
China denied violations in Xinjiang, but the US government and many rights groups say Beijing is doing genocide there.
Myanmar, North Korea
Treasury said it imposes sanctions on two Myanmar military entities and an organization that provides reserves for the military
The Defense Industry Directorate, one of the targeted entities, made weapons for the military and the police who had been used in brutal crackdown on opponents of the Military February 1 coup.
The Ministry of Finance also targets four regional head ministers, including Myo Swe wins, who heads the Junta Administration in the Bago area where Treasury said at least 82 people were killed in one day in April.
Canada imposed sanctions on four entities affiliated with the Myanmar military government, while England eradicated new sanctions against the military.
Myanmar plunged into the crisis when the military overthrew the leader of Aung San Suu Kyi and his government on February 1, triggered his daily protests in cities and fighting on the border between military rebels and ethnic minorities.
Junta troops who tried to destroy the opposition have killed more than 1,300 people, according to assistance associations for the political prisoner monitoring group (AAPP).
The Witness global campaign group said the steps failed to target the Myanmar natural gas industry, the main source of foreign currency for the junta, and “it is impossible to influence the point of the junta junta.”
The Ministry of Finance also lodged the North Korean North Korean Prosecutor Office, along with former Minister of Social Security and recently assigned the Indonesian Armed Forces Minister Yong Gil.
It also targets the University of Russia for facilitating workers’ exports from North Korea. North Korea has long searched for appointment of punishing us and international sanctions imposed on their weapon program and have criticized US criticism of the human rights record of human rights as proof of a hostile policy on it. The Biden government has repeatedly asked North Korea to be involved in dialogue on nuclear and missile programs, without results.
The US State Department on Friday also banned 12 people from traveling to the United States, including officials in China, Belarus and Sri Lanka.