UN Expert Slams US for Rolling Back Myanmar Sanctions, Calls Move “Major Step Backward”

The United Nations’ top human rights expert on Myanmar has sharply criticised Washington’s decision to lift sanctions on allies of the country’s military regime, calling it a dangerous reversal that risks fuelling ongoing atrocities.

Tom Andrews, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said on Wednesday that the move “undermines international efforts to save lives” as Myanmar’s military continues its brutal campaign against civilians in a conflict sparked by the 2021 coup.

“This is a major step backward for international efforts to save lives by restricting the murderous junta’s access to weapons,” Andrews said in a statement. “It is unconscionable to undermine these efforts by rolling back sanctions on Myanmar arms dealers and junta cronies.”

The Biden administration quietly removed sanctions on five individuals and companies allegedly linked to Myanmar’s military arms trade on July 24, despite its earlier stance that the junta posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security.

The rollback comes as Myanmar’s armed forces, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, face accusations of war crimes — including bombing civilian areas and forcibly conscripting Rohingya into combat units.

Andrews warned that the delisting sends the wrong message and risks undoing hard-won progress. According to UN data, sanctions had already driven a 30 percent decline in Myanmar’s imported military equipment between 2023 and 2024.

“What makes this action even more appalling is that sanctions against the junta are proving to be effective,” Andrews said, urging Washington to strengthen measures, not dismantle them.

Human Rights Watch echoed those concerns. John Sifton, the organisation’s Asia advocacy director, called the move “extremely worrying”, adding it “suggests a major shift is underway in US policy, which had centered on punitive action against Myanmar’s military regime”.

The decision came just two weeks after Myanmar’s top general sent a letter to President Donald Trump, praising his “strong leadership” and applauding his administration for cutting funding to US-backed media outlets critical of the junta.

A senior US official insisted the sanctions rollback was unrelated to the letter. But rights groups say the timing raises serious questions about whether political considerations are now outweighing human rights concerns in US foreign policy.

Andrews urged the US to reconsider immediately.

“Rather than removing sanctions, the US should be extending them to include Myanmar Economic Bank, the key military-controlled financial institution that it relies on to pay for imported military equipment,” he said.

“This is literally a matter of life and death for civilians under siege in Myanmar,” Andrews added.

With the country’s civil war entering its fourth year and international condemnation mounting, rights advocates warn that Washington’s decision risks giving Myanmar’s generals exactly what they need: access to money, weapons and legitimacy on the global stage.

With input from Al Jazeera