US lifts restrictions on blacklisted Myanmar terminals

The US government has announced that it is temporarily lifting restrictions on shipments passing through Asia World’s terminals despite its managing director being on a US blacklist.

In June, US bank Citigroup noticed that trade was taking place through the Asia World Port Terminal in Yangon which is controlled by Steven Law, who is subject to US sanctions because of his ties to Myanmar’s military.

Law’s late father and Asia World’s founder, Lo Hsing Han, was identified by the US State Department as a narco-terrorist and is widely reported to have founded Asia World a front for a heroin trafficking empire. He has also served as ethnic affairs advisor to Myanmar’s former prime minister. Law’s wife Cecilia Ng is also blacklisted for allegedly operating an underground banking system.