Former US President, Barack Obama has weighed in on the crisis that continues to unfold across Myanmar, stating he was “appalled by heartbreaking violence” it had used against civilians after retaking power in a coup.

Releasing a rare statement, Obama said he supported his President Joe Biden’s move to impose sanctions on the nation and impose costs on Myanmar’s generals.

“The military’s illegitimate and brutal effort to impose its will after a decade of greater freedoms will clearly never be accepted by the people and should not be accepted by the wider world”

Obama has called for those in Myanmar to continue to protest for their democracy.

What’s happening in Myanmar

Myanmar was taken over by the nation’s military in February, after detaining the country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mass protests have been taking place across Myanmar since the military seized control on 1 February.

It comes as elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains detained, and so do other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

Hundreds of people, including children, have been killed.

The military is now back in charge and has declared a year-long state of emergency. The armed forces had backed the opposition, who were demanding a rerun of the vote, claiming widespread fraud.

Global Impacts

Countries from across the globe have responded to the crisis in Myanmar, many imposing sanctions on the nation.

The European Union has imposed sanctions on 10 of Myanmar’s military leaders, as well as two giant military conglomerates.

The United States has also responded, imposing the following:

APRIL 21, 2021 Imposing Sanctions on Two Burmese State-Owned Enterprises

APRIL 21, 2021 Treasury Sanctions Key Timber and Pearl Enterprises in Burma 

APRIL 8, 2021 Imposing Sanctions on Burmese State-Owned Enterprise

APRIL 8, 2021 Treasury Sanctions Key Gems Enterprise in Burma 

MARCH 25, 2021 Sanctions on Two Burmese Entities in Connection with the Military Regime

MARCH 25, 2021 Treasury Sanctions Military Holding Companies in Burma 

MARCH 22, 2021 Designating Officials and Military Units in Response to Escalating Violence in Burma

MARCH 22, 2021 United States Targets Burmese Military Forces for Repression of Pro-Democracy Protests 

MARCH 10, 2021 Promoting Accountability and Responding to Violence against Protestors in Burma

MARCH 10, 2021 United States Targets Family Members Profiting from Connection to Burmese Coup Leader 

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 Promoting Accountability for Those Responsible for Violence Against Protestors in Burma

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 United States Targets Members of Burma’s State Administrative Council following Violence against Protestors 

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 Designating Officials and Entities in Connection with the Military Coup in Burma

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 United States Targets Leaders of Burma’s Military Coup Under New Executive Order Archive: Find releases prior to January 20, 2017

Experts are now urging that the agenda for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders Meeting in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Saturday should be able to produce concrete actions to end violence in Myanmar.

Calls for Industries to cut ties with Myanmar