US removes daughter of Myanmar businessman from sanctions list after lawsuit, reports say

The US Treasury Department has removed the daughter of a Myanmar businessman accused of supporting the country's military from its sanctions list, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. Both outlets said the removal appeared on the department's website on Friday. It came after she filed a lawsuit seeking to be delisted.

Al Jazeera identified her as Theint Win Htet, the daughter of Thein Win Zaw, founder of the Shwe Byain Phyu Group of Companies.

Background

In January 2024, the Treasury Department under the Biden administration targeted the Shwe Byain Phyu Group, Al Jazeera reported. According to the outlet, the action also targeted Thein Win Zaw's family. The Biden administration sanctioned Myanmar military officers and companies after the 2021 coup.

According to Al Jazeera, Theint Win Htet first sued the Biden administration to be removed. That case was dismissed in 2025. She filed a second complaint in July. Al Jazeera reported that the sanctions blocked her US credit cards and restricted her foreign bank accounts. The outlet said they also forced her to abandon a master's degree at Columbia University. She lives in Thailand with her mother, who was removed from the list in 2025, according to the outlet.

On Friday, her lawyer, Washington, DC-based sanctions specialist Erich Ferrari, filed a notice with the federal court in Washington to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit, Al Jazeera reported.

Al Jazeera also reported that Washington lifted sanctions in July 2025 on several other Myanmar nationals and on a company accused of aiding the military.

According to Al Jazeera, the delisting followed a Reuters report that the Trump administration had opened talks with Myanmar's government. The Japan Times said the move came after a report that the administration had opened talks with Myanmar's military-installed government. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not establish a link between the two.

According to Al Jazeera, the civil war that followed the 2021 coup has killed about 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.5 million.

What each side says

• In January 2024, the Treasury Department said the Shwe Byain Phyu Group supplied fuel to Myanmar's military and owned at least 20 firms with close ties to the military leadership, according to Al Jazeera.
• In her July court complaint, Theint Win Htet said she has no role in her father's business, Al Jazeera reported.
• Justice For Myanmar condemned the delisting. Al Jazeera quoted the group as saying: "It is deplorable that the US government continues to delist Myanmar cronies and their family members that provide funding for the junta’s terror". The group also said Myanmar's military is escalating attacks on civilians.

What remains unclear

The reports do not include a stated reason from the Treasury Department for the delisting. They do not include comment from the Treasury, the State Department, the White House, Myanmar's government or military, or Theint Win Htet or her lawyer. They do not say whether sanctions on Thein Win Zaw or the Shwe Byain Phyu Group remain in place.

The Reuters and Japan Times items reviewed by Vocemundi are brief summaries; most details in this article come from Al Jazeera.

Analysis

The case touches a recurring question in sanctions policy: how measures aimed at companies and individuals extend to their family members. Theint Win Htet argued she had no role in the business; Justice For Myanmar argues such delistings benefit people who fund the military. Without a stated reason from the Treasury, the delisting could reflect a case-specific legal review, a broader policy shift, or both. The reported US talks with Myanmar's government add context, but the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not show a connection. Further official statements or court records would help clarify which explanation, if any, applies.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.