Maung Maung Soe was formerly the commander of Western Regional Military Command, overseeing Myanmar's campaign against the Rohingya, which has been characterized by brutality and atrocities. The U.S. government imposed Global Magnitsky Act sanctions against the general in December 2017, citing "credible evidence" that he commanded forces involved in violence, sexual assaults, extrajudicial killings and the burning of villages of the Rohingya minority. The Government of Myanmar released a statement that said the accusations are based on unreliable sources. In February 2018, the Canadian government sanctioned Maung Maung Soe under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, stating that he was "responsible for, or complicit in, gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" (specifically, ethnic cleansing). He has also been sanctioned by Australia and the European Union (EU).