UN says Myanmar human rights situation plummets to new low
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The UN Human Rights Office reported on Tuesday that Myanmar's human rights situation has plummeted to a new low, citing worsening abuse of Rohingya and the impact of illicit economies. An estimated 8,075 civilians, including 1,074 children, have been killed since the 2021 coup. The report also found 3.6 million internally displaced people and 12.4 million facing acute hunger.
Key Facts
- The UN Human Rights Office reported that 8,075 civilians, including 1,074 children, have been killed since the 2021 coup, with at least 1,241 killed in the past year.
- The number of internally displaced people in Myanmar has risen to 3.6 million, while 12.4 million people face acute hunger and 400,000 young children and mothers suffer acute malnutrition.
- Satellite imagery confirmed Kachin State as the primary rare-earth mining area, with 302 new sites since 2021, a 149 percent increase.
- The UN accused both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army of widespread and systematic violations against the Rohingya minority in Rakhine State.
Civilian Toll and Displacement
The military has deployed airstrikes, arson attacks, displacement, and denial of assistance against civilians as it battles ethnic armed groups and militias. The UN report cautioned that open sources indicate as many as 15,731 civilians may have been killed since the coup and 3,102 in the last year. The violence has driven the number of internally displaced people to 3.6 million. Some 12.4 million people are facing acute hunger, and 400,000 young children and mothers are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Rohingya Abuses in Rakhine State
In western Rakhine State, the military and the Arakan Army have continued to commit widespread and systematic violations against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority. The Arakan Army has carried out arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, forced labour and recruitment, and destruction of villages and religious sites. Rohingya who try to escape forced recruitment are detained and routinely subjected to ill-treatment, including beatings, removal of fingernails, and chilli applied to genitals. The continuing violence comes nine years after a brutal crackdown that forced some 700,000 Rohingya to flee into Bangladesh.
Illicit Economy and Rare Earth Mining
The absence of the rule of law in Myanmar has resulted in a booming illicit economy, with illegal rare earth mining in northern Kachin and northeastern Shan State strengthening transnational criminal networks. Satellite imagery confirmed Kachin State as the primary rare-earth mining area, with 302 new sites since 2021, a 149 percent increase.
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UN says Myanmar human rights situation plummets to new low
