(MENAFN) A UN human rights authority on Thursday criticized the United States' choice to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for individuals fleeing Myanmar, describing it as a direct infringement on basic rights.

The decision, according to Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on Myanmar's human rights situation, "is an assault on human rights and human decency based on a cruel fiction that ignores overwhelming evidence of Myanmar's spiraling crisis."

Andrews emphasized that "defying reality, this decision puts thousands at extreme risk while legitimizing a brutal regime that continues to use weapons of war to attack civilians."

On Tuesday, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that TPS for Myanmar nationals will conclude on January 26, 2026, impacting almost 4,000 individuals. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem maintained that conditions in Myanmar "no longer hinder the safe return" of its citizens.

Andrews criticized the reliance on the military junta's promised elections, describing it as "deeply disturbing," and stated: "The sham polls being staged by the junta are nothing more than a charade to entrench military dominance."

He cautioned that numerous TPS beneficiaries are activists, journalists, and opposition figures who could face detention, torture, or execution if sent back. He added that forced returns could breach non-refoulement protections.

Finally, Andrews underscored the broader responsibility, noting: "It is in the United States’ national interest—and consistent with its international obligations—to protect those who will help rebuild Myanmar as a democratic, rights-respecting nation."

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