Germany: EU may impose sanctions on Myanmar as a last resort

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaks to the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, Feb 22, 2021. (AP)

BERLIN: The European Union may impose sanctions on Myanmar as a last resort after a military coup and a crackdown on the opposition in the country, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said ahead of a meeting with his EU counterparts on Monday.
“We are not prepared to stand by and watch,” Maas said on his arrival in Brussels. “We will use all diplomatic channels to push for a de-escalation in Myanmar but at the same time, as a last resort, prepare sanctions on the military regime in Myanmar.”
Three weeks after seizing power, the junta in Myanmar has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the Feb. 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.