From L: Sit Taing Aung, Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung, Tin Latt Min and Aung Hlaing Oo

Washington: The US has lifted sanctions on allies of Myanmar’s military junta, drawing criticism from rights groups and raising questions about a possible shift in Washington’s policy towards the Southeast Asian nation.

The Treasury Depart­ment said it was removing 4 individuals and companies from its sanctions list. These are KT Services & Logistics and its founder Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung; the MCM Group and its owner Aung Hlaing Oo; Suntac Technologies and its owner Sit Taing Aung; and another individual, Tin Latt Min. All had been sanctioned for their ties to Myanmar’s military regime, which seized power in a coup in 2021.

KT Services & Logistics and Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung were first sanctioned in Jan 2022 under Biden administration to mark the first anniversary of the military coup. The move came 2 weeks after Myanmar’s top general Min Aung Hlaing praised Trump in a letter, urging him to lift sanctions and reduce a planned tariff hike. In the letter about 40% tariff, Min Aung Hlaing asked for a lower rate of 10% to 20%, and offered to send a negotiating team to DC and proposed Myanmar would cut tariffs on US impo­rts to between 0 and 10%.