Switzerland imposes new sanctions on Myanmar junta
People go about their business in Yangon on Wednesday as fire is set as the symbol of resistance against the military coup
Keystone / Stringer
Switzerland has followed the United States, the European Union and Britain in sanctioning 11 people considered responsible for the coup in Myanmar.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
This decision comes two months after the military junta overthrew the government. Since then, those who oppose the coup have faced a deadly crackdown.
The Swiss government is aligning itself with the sanctions approved by the EU last week, a spokesman for the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-ATS on Thursday.
Commander-in-chief Min Aung, nine top military officers and the chairman of the election commission have been targeted and are no longer allowed to travel to Switzerland. Any assets have been frozen.
According to the United Nations, at least 107 people, including seven children, were killed on Saturday in the crackdown on protests across Myanmar. Since the coup on February 1 more than 500 civilians have died, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
In an interview with SWI swissinfo.ch, the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, warned that without a solution Myanmar faced a civil war and a humanitarian crisis.
More
More
‘As long as people are protesting in the street, the coup isn’t over’
This content was published on
The UN Special Envoy for Myanmar wants to bring the generals involved in the Myanmar coup to the negotiating table.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss federal office sees no reason to end deportations of asylum-seekers to Croatia
This content was published on
Switzerland's State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) continues to deport asylum-seekers to Croatia. It thus rejects a demand from the Swiss Refugee Council in mid-February, which called for a halt to the returns.
ChatGPT responds to negative emotions and therapy, research shows
This content was published on
Stressful information can also cause anxiety in artificial intelligence (AI). As scientists in Zurich have shown, it's even possible to calm the GPT-4 AI model with mindfulness exercises.
Mortgage benchmark fall paves way for potential rent cuts in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland’s national benchmark for mortgage costs dropped to the level it had before the global inflation surge, paving the way for potential rent reductions.
Switzerland ‘deeply concerned’ by Trump’s death penalty order
This content was published on
Switzerland has told the UN Human Rights Council that it is "deeply concerned" by US President Donald Trump's recent executive order to strengthen capital punishment at federal and state level.
Blatter, Platini return to court for new fraud trial over CHF2 million FIFA payment
This content was published on
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini appeared in court in Switzerland on Monday accused of fraud - 2.5 years after they were cleared.
Israel criticises Swiss decision to host Middle East conference in Geneva on Friday
This content was published on
Israel has condemned Switzerland for planning to host a meeting on international humanitarian law in the Middle East next Friday in Geneva.
Centre Party’s Franziska Biner elected to Valais government
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland elected Franziska Biner to the cantonal government in the first round of voting, beating off more established politicians.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss call for ‘concrete’ UN Security Council action on Myanmar
This content was published on
Switzerland has called for “concrete measures” by the United Nations Security Council regarding the situation in Myanmar.
This content was published on
Officials at the Geneva-based UN evidence-gathering body for serious crimes in Myanmar are closely watching events in the southeast Asian nation.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.