US lifts sanctions on daughter of military-linked Myanmar businessman | Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions News
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Daughter of Myanmar Businessman
Published on October 10, 2026
The United States has lifted sanctions against Theint Win Htet, the daughter of a businessman linked to Myanmar’s military-installed government. The U.S. Department of the Treasury made the announcement on Friday, updating its sanctions list on its official website following a lawsuit filed by Theint Win Htet in July.
The decision comes shortly after reports indicated that the Trump administration has reopened discussions with Myanmar’s government. This marks a departure from previous U.S. policies that imposed sanctions on military leaders responsible for the 2021 coup that ousted the country’s democratically elected government.
In January 2024, during the Biden administration, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Shwe Byain Phyu Group of Companies, founded by Theint Win Htet’s father, Thein Win Zaw. The Treasury claimed that the company provided fuel to the military and owned at least 20 firms with close connections to Myanmar’s military leadership.
Theint Win Htet’s first lawsuit aimed at rescinding her sanctions was dismissed last year. In her second complaint, she contended that she has no involvement in her father’s business operations. The sanctions had severely impacted her financial standing, restricting her U.S. credit cards and foreign bank accounts. This situation forced her to abandon her master’s degree program at Columbia University in New York. She currently resides in Thailand with her mother, who was removed from the U.S. sanctions list last year.
Following the delisting, Theint Win Htet’s attorney, Erich Ferrari, submitted a notice to the federal court in Washington, D.C., to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit.
The group Justice For Myanmar has criticized the Treasury Department’s decision, asserting that Myanmar’s military is intensifying attacks against civilians. They labeled the U.S. government’s action as “deplorable,” emphasizing the ongoing risks posed by Myanmar’s military to the population.
Since the coup, the Biden administration has enacted sanctions against military officials and their associated companies. These measures were instituted in response to a civil conflict that has reportedly resulted in approximately 100,000 fatalities and displaced more than 3.5 million individuals. The U.S. lifted sanctions on several other Myanmar nationals and a military-affiliated company in July of last year.
