Junta seeks to evade sanctions with rebrand: Justice for Myanmar

By Admin 22 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom

22 August 2025, Mrauk-U

Justice for Myanmar (JFM) has warned that the military regime is attempting to evade international sanctions under the new name it has adopted, the State Security and Peace Commission.

The military regime has abandoned the name State Administration Council (SAC) and established the new name State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) on July 31, which will allow it to avoid international sanctions, Justice for Myanmar said on August 21.

Justice for Myanmar warns that the name SSPC is a cover to avoid sanctions imposed by the US, Canada, and the EU, and that action must be taken against the newly renamed junta to prevent such evasion.

"The illegal Myanmar military junta must not be allowed to exploit international sanctions by rebranding itself from SAC to SSPC," said Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung. "Sanctions are critical in confronting human rights abusers and perpetrators of international crimes and would-be dictators around the world and governments must not stand for their sanctions regimes being circumvented."

A young political observer in Yangon said: "The international community, except for China and Russia, has always exerted pressure on the military regime, but it has not been very effective. The international community has always followed its own interests and ignored the needs of the people. The international community needs more effective measures to take action against the Myanmar military regime."

Top Myanmar leaders and military businesses, including junta boss Min Aung Hlaing who heads the SSPC, have been sanctioned by the US and UK since 2021, the EU in 2022, and Canada in 2023.

The military regime reportedly hired the US-based lobbying firm DCI Group last month for $3 million to improve its reputation and undermine international sanctions.

"Myanmar's regime has changed the names one by one, but this is the same. I think the military regime is doing this to gain international recognition and to keep power by saying that they can do something about the election," said an Arakanese politician.

Since seizing power, the junta chief has been accused of committing war crimes across the country, including mass killings of civilians, indiscriminate aerial bombardments, and ethnic cleansing.

While the military regime is preparing to hold elections under the new name SSPC, it is continuing to commit targeted attacks on civilians.

China, Russia, and Belarus may support the junta's planned elections, while ASEAN said in July that these elections would not solve the current problems and would only make things worse.

International election monitoring organisations and human rights groups have also condemned the junta-sponsored election as a sham.