A Myanmar soldier stands guard on a road amid demonstrations against the military coup in Naypyidaw February 17, 2021. — AFP picYANGON, March 25 — The US and Britain announced sanctions against a huge military-owned conglomerate in Myanmar today, as security forces continued to launch brutal crackdowns against anti-coup protesters.
The opaque groups have their tentacles in industries as diverse as beer, tobacco, transportation, textiles, tourism and banking. In the city of Hpa-An in southeastern Karen state, protesters were preparing sandbags around 6am today when scores of soldiers and police swooped in and tried to clear the streets using stun grenades.
Since the coup, more than 280 people have been killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners — a local monitoring group tracking the death toll and arrests.