Switzerland imposes new sanctions on Myanmar junta

Switzerland has followed the United States, the European Union and Britain in sanctioning 11 people considered responsible for the coup in Myanmar.

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.