Chairman of Burma’s Election Commission on EU blacklist

Friday, 02 April 2010 14:20 Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Deputy Supreme Court Judge Thein Soe, the newly appointed Chairman of Burma's Election Commission is on the EU’s blacklist of sanctions. The list, which targets key members of Burma’s military regime also includes Dr. Tin Aung Aye, a fellow Supreme Court Judge, and also a member of the EC.

Judges Thein Soe, Dr. Tin Aung Aye and other members on the blacklist including notorious junta crony Tay Zaw, are banned from traveling to the European Union. They are also subject to a freeze on any financial assets they may have in Europe. As such they cannot undertake financial transactions with European based financial institutions.

The two judges and other senior members of the Burmese regime’s judiciary were added to the EU's sanctions list following the outcome of Aung San Suu Kyi's August 2009 trial in which she was convicted of flouting the terms of her house arrest after an uninvited American man swam to her home.

According to the EU Council, members of the Burmese judiciary were targeted because of the “gravity of the violation of the fundamental rights of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Council considers it appropriate to include the members of the judiciary responsible for the verdict in the list of persons and entities subject to a travel ban and to an asset freeze".

Before becoming a judge Thein Soe was in Burma's armed forces as a Major General and was a military Judge Advocate General. In 2003 he was appointed to Burma's National Convention led by former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt. In October 2007 Dr. Tin Aung Aye was appointed to the commission for drafting the State Constitution. According to the regime’s state constitution committee announcement, Dr. Tin Aung Aye received both his master’s and doctorate of law in Germany.