WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States placed a Myanmar general on its sanctions blacklist on Tuesday for arms deals with North Korea that violated a UN Security Council embargo on buying weapons from Pyongyang.

The US Treasury named Lt General Thein Htay, the head of Myanmar's Directorate of Defense Industries, for the sanctions, saying he was involved in buying North Korean military goods despite his government's support of the Security Council ban.

It also said he acted on behalf of the Directorate of Defence Industries, which was already on the US sanctions blacklist for arms deals with North Korea.

"This action specifically targets Thein Htay, who is involved in the illicit trade of North Korean arms to Burma," the US Treasury said in a statement, using the former official name for Myanmar.

"It does not target the Government of Burma, which has continued to take positive steps in severing its military ties with North Korea."

The sanctions forbid any American from doing business with Thein Htay and freeze any assets he might have in the United States.