The Myanmar (Sanctions) (Isle of Man) Order 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order extends to the Isle of Man with modifications the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/496) (“the Myanmar Regulations”) as amended from time to time.

Section 63(3)(b) of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (c. 13) (“the Sanctions Act”) provides that Her Majesty may by Order in Council provide for any provision of Part 1 of that Act, or any regulations under Part 1 of that Act, to extend with or without modifications to the Isle of Man. Section 63(4) provides that this includes the power to extend any regulations as amended from time to time.

The Myanmar Regulations were made under Part 1 of the Sanctions Act to establish a sanctions regime in relation to Myanmar for the purposes of: promoting the peace, stability and security of Myanmar; promoting respect for democracy, the rule of law and good governance in Myanmar; discouraging actions, policies or activities which repress the civilian population in Myanmar; and promoting compliance with international human rights law and respect for human rights in Myanmar.

The Myanmar Regulations, as modified and extended to the Isle of Man by this Order (“the modified Regulations”), provide that a person designated by the Secretary of State for being, or having been, involved in certain activities, is a designated person for the purposes of the modified Regulations. Designated persons may be excluded from the Isle of Man and may be made subject to financial sanctions, including having their funds or economic resources frozen.

The modified Regulations impose trade restrictions on military goods and technology, on dual-use goods and technology, and on specified goods and technology which may be used to repress the civilian population of Myanmar (as specified in Schedule 2) or for intercepting or monitoring their communications (as specified in Schedule 3). They also impose further trade restrictions in respect of the provision of interception and monitoring services to, or for the benefit of, the Government of Myanmar, or the provision of certain services, funds or armed personnel to, or for the benefit of, the Tatmadaw (i.e. the Myanmar Armed Forces).

The modified Regulations provide for certain exceptions to this sanctions regime (for example to allow for frozen accounts to be credited with interest or other earnings and to allow acts done for the purpose of national security or the prevention of serious crime). The Treasury of the Isle of Man may issue a licence in respect of activities that would otherwise be prohibited under the modified Regulations. Schedule 4 sets out the purposes pursuant to which the Treasury may issue a financial sanctions licence authorising acts by a particular person. The modified Regulations also require the Treasury to publish an up-to-date list of designated persons.

The modified Regulations prescribe powers for the provision and sharing of information to enable the effective implementation and enforcement of the sanctions regime. The modified Regulations make it a criminal offence to contravene, or circumvent, any of the prohibitions in the modified Regulations and prescribe the penalties that apply to such offences.

The modified Regulations also confer powers on specified maritime enforcement officers to stop and search ships in international and foreign waters for the purpose of enforcing specified trade sanctions and to seize goods found on board ships which are being, or have been, dealt with in contravention, or deemed contravention, of those prohibitions.

This Order also extends to the Isle of Man for the purposes of the modified Regulations specific provisions of Part 1 of the Sanctions Act, namely provisions relating to guidance about prohibitions and requirements, protection for acts done for purposes of compliance and saving for prerogative powers.

An impact assessment has not been prepared for this instrument because the territorial extent of the instrument and the modified Regulations is the Isle of Man: no, or no significant, impact is foreseen on the private, voluntary or public sector in the United Kingdom.