On January 27, 2023 the Governor in Council on recommendation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and having the opinion that the situation in Burma constitutes a grave breach of international peace and security which will likely result in a serious international crisis made amendments to the Special Economics Measures (Burma) Regulations.

The amendments to the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations include subsections 4(a), (1.1), (2), and (3). 

4(a) of the Special Economic Measures (Burma) Regulations is replaced by the following: (a) export, sell, supply, ship, transport or otherwise deal in arms and related material or aviation fuel, wherever situated, destined for Burma or any person in Burma; Part 2 of the schedule to the Regulations is amended by adding the following after item 89: Htein Win, Htin Latt Oo, Than Hteik, Nyunt Win Swe, Phone Myat, Thet Pon.

On February 1, 2021, the Tatmadaw deposed the civilian government, forming the State Administration Council (SAC), and arrested the democratically elected civilian leadership, protesters, journalists, and pro-democracy activists. To date, the regime has failed to fully consolidate its power, and violent resistance across the country has grown, pushing Myanmar close to failed state status and economic collapse, reversing previous democratic and economic gains, with accelerating armed conflicts. This situation makes the prospect of a safe, voluntary, and dignified return of the displaced Rohingya people extremely unlikely. People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) have been formed locally throughout the country and are engaging in guerrilla-style fighting against the regime.

Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO) are also continuing decades-long conflicts with the security forces. Political opposition has crystallized around a National Unity Government (NUG), which has formed a shadow government and is vying for international recognition, recently moving from political into armed resistance. Gross and systematic human rights violations continue with unchecked impunity as the SAC escalates violence against its own population to exterminate resistance and assert its authority.

*Source: Canada (SOR/2023-13) January 27, 2023.