After India, the United States has now turned its attention to Myanmar. Finally, they have declared Myanmar people in the United States illegal.
United States Notice
The Trump administration has announced that it is ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Myanmar citizens in the United States. On Monday, the Trump administration argued that these citizens can safely return to the war-torn Southeast Asian country. The administration has shown this as an improvement in the situation, citing the planned holding of elections by the military junta.
The decision has raised concerns among Myanmar citizens in the United States who may be forced to return to their country. Myanmar has been in political turmoil since a military coup and the overthrow of a civilian government in 2021. The coup led to an armed resistance across the country. US Secretary of Homeland Security Christie Noem has decided, in consultation with various government agencies, that TPS is no longer needed for Myanmar.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained the rationale for the decision in a statement. There are about 4,000 Myanmar citizens in the United States who are beneficiaries of TPS. The benefits for them will end on January 26, DHS said. This decision returns TPS to its original temporary status,” Christy Noem said. She used another name for Myanmar and said, “The situation in Burma has improved enough that citizens can safely return there.
Therefore, we are ending the temporary recognition.” “Burma has made significant improvements in its governance and stability. These include the end of the state of emergency, plans for free and fair elections, a successful ceasefire agreement, and improvements in local governance; all of which are helping to accelerate public services and national integration,” Noem said. DHS also noted in an official statement that Myanmar’s military government has engaged in ceasefire negotiations with ethnic armed groups.
China has played a role in the mediation. DHS compared the negotiations with previous peace efforts and viewed them as positive. There are about 4,000 Myanmar citizens who are beneficiaries of TPS in the United States. The DHS said the exemption will expire on January 26. Burma (Myanmar) has made significant improvements in its governance and stability, including ending the state of emergency, planning for free and fair elections, a successful ceasefire agreement, and improving local governance, which are helping to accelerate public services and national integration.
However, international observers, particularly the United Nations, say the junta's planned December and January elections will not be "free and fair" because some opposition parties are still banned and former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in prison. John Sifton, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said, "The U.S. analysis of the facts is speculative. There has been no change in governance or stability.
The lifting of the state of emergency has had no effect." The military government’s announced election is just a drama. The Trump administration’s reasoning for revoking the temporary legal status of Myanmar citizens is at odds even with the position of some members of its own Republican Party, who have long called for a tougher policy against the Myanmar junta. Last week, Yong Kim, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, called the junta’s announcement of holding elections “a hoax” in a hearing.
“It is a plan to deceive the junta in order to gain its own legitimacy,” he said. State Department August report details human rights violations The US State Department recently warned Americans against traveling to Myanmar due to military conflict, armed conflict, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws. The department’s latest human rights report (released in August) said that Myanmar has “significant human rights problems.”
These include extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture, persecution of journalists and restrictions on religious freedom, among other human rights violations. The report said, “The human rights crisis in Myanmar has worsened. Conflict between the military and the opposition has intensified, resulting in increased airstrikes and shelling in or near civilian areas.”
The report also highlighted the deaths of two senior opposition leaders. They were detained. When asked about the Trump administration’s new decision, the State Department declined to comment. Instead, it referred the matter to DHS. The TPS program for Myanmar citizens living in the United States was extended for 18 months. It was due to expire on November 25 under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden. Republican leader Trump has revoked TPS benefits for citizens of several countries since taking office in January as part of his anti-immigration policies.
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