In a grand display of forces, Myanmar's military Junta showcased a grand display of forces soon after the United States imposed sanctions on the ruling military for the current situation of the country, CNN reported.

According to CNN, the US Treasury Department announced on Friday that it had sanctioned two people and six entities linked to Myanmar's military for enabling the regime's ongoing atrocities. The display of forces on Monday marked the third time the military, also known as the Tatmadaw, has celebrated Armed Forces Day since overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government.

She has since been sentenced to 33 years in prison in secretive trials that her lawyers claim are politically motivated. Citing a video from state media, CNN reported that Myanmar's Junta displayed not only forces but several types of equipment including tanks as well as rocket launchers.

The junta has cracked down on anti-coup protestors, arrested journalists and political prisoners, and executed several prominent pro-democracy activists, prompting condemnation from the United Nations and human rights organisations.

Resistance groups have repeatedly accused Myanmar's military of carrying out mass killings, air strikes and war crimes against civilians in the regions where fighting has raged, charges the junta repeatedly denies, despite a growing body of evidence.

According to a United Nations report published in January, several UN member states are still selling weapons to the military, despite Western-led sanctions against the junta.

But the increased political and economic isolation has not stopped the military from manufacturing a wide variety of weapons, the report said, adding that, "An equally important factor, however, is the fact that Myanmar's military can produce a large variety of weapons in-country."

Image courtesy: Reuters