US Sanctions on Myanmar Still Firm Despite Junta’s Spin

Despite claims circulating in Myanmar that US policy has softened, Washington’s stance against the military junta remains unchanged. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have consistently renewed the National Emergency on Burma and upheld key executive orders, including E.O. 14014. Sanctions continue to be enforced, with new names added to the OFAC blacklist as recently as 2025.

Yet confusion has grown following public comments by Erich Ferrari, a US sanctions lawyer who recently helped remove two junta-linked individuals and one company from the sanctions list. In interviews, Ferrari described the delisting process as “technical, not political,” a framing critics say downplays the moral weight of sanctions and gives the regime a propaganda tool.

Ferrari’s remarks have been widely circulated in Myanmar, where the junta is using them to suggest that US policy has shifted. Human rights advocates argue this narrative is misleading. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews called the delistings “unconscionable,” warning they could embolden the regime.

The delisted individuals were previously sanctioned for supplying arms and technology to the junta. Their removal has sparked outrage among Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, which sees the move as undermining accountability. Ferrari, while defending the legal basis of his work, declined to name his clients due to confidentiality.

Behind the legal paperwork lies a darker reality. Funds used to pay for high-end legal representation often originate from exploitative industries: rare earth mining in ethnic territories, copper extraction under the China–Myanmar Economic Corridor, illegal logging, garment sweatshops, and scam centres. These operations fuel environmental destruction and human suffering, while junta cronies seek reintegration into the global economy.

Activists warn that delistings must not be mistaken for exoneration. They call for greater transparency from OFAC, conditional sanctions tied to verifiable reform, and stronger support for watchdogs tracking junta-linked business activity.

The US government has not changed its policy. But the messaging around sanctions—especially when amplified by legal professionals—can distort public perception. For Myanmar’s resistance, each delisting is not a defeat, but a reminder to stay vigilant and keep fighting for justice.

-2025-09-04