JFM calls for stepped up sanctions on Myanmar junta in new policy brief with The Sentry

Mizzima

Justice For Myanmar (JFM) released a new policy brief on 22 December together with The Sentry detailing how Myanmar’s junta is attempting to instil false legitimacy and evade international sanctions through its July 2025 rebranding. The timely call comes as the junta moves to hold sham ‘nationwide’ elections at the end of this week.

The text of the release is as follows. The complete press release is available here.

A new joint policy brief by The Sentry and Justice For Myanmar exposes how the Myanmar military junta is attempting to evade international sanctions and manufacture false legitimacy by rebranding its executive, legislative and judicial structure and engaging lobbyists in the United States to further the effort.

As the military prepares to stage a sham election while continuing widespread atrocities against civilians, the brief warns that the junta is exploiting gaps in sanctions regimes to maintain access to international political and financial systems. The brief calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and other like-minded governments to urgently update and expand sanctions to close these loopholes and target the junta’s international enablers.

On 31 July 2025, the junta dissolved the already-sanctioned State Administrative Council (SAC) and replaced it with a newly created body, the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC). Despite the change in name, the SSPC is led by the same senior military figures, performs the same functions, and remains firmly under the control of junta leader and military commander Min Aung Hlaing.