Five military officers from Myanmar have been hit with Australian travel bans and financial sanctions over atrocities committed against the Rohingya people.
Following similar actions by the United States and the European Union, Australia announced it would freeze the assets of officers including a Lieutenant General who commanded a special operations group believed to be behind atrocities.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the bans come after the United Nations found war crimes, crimes against humanity, and likely genocide had occurred in Rakhine State.
"Australia will continue to support the humanitarian needs of those affected, and to work with Myanmar and our partners in the region to encourage efforts towards a long term and durable solution to the crisis," she said on Tuesday.
Lieutenant General Aung Kyaw Zaww, Major General Maung Maung Soe, Brigadier General Aung Aung, Brigadier General Than Oo, and Brigadier General Khin Maung Soe are now on Australia's consolidated list of sanctioned people.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said it's "about bloody time" Australia put some sanctions on Myanmar.
"These (belated) targeted sanctions against Myanmar are welcome, but now we need to put an end to our military cooperation with them," he tweeted.
Around 700,000 Rohingya have been driven from their homes in Rakhine state, in southwest Myanmar, since 2016.
The campaign has been marked by numerous extrajudicial killings, mass rape and the burning of villages by security forces.
- Additional reporting: AFP
