Hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Myanmar are now living in makeshift camps. UN: Myanmar military junta increasingly brutal Peace and security
There is compelling evidence of a sharp increase in brutal war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military across the country, according to information collected and analysed by the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar and detailed in its annual report released Tuesday.
The report covers the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, a period in which armed clashes across Myanmar intensified as the country’s ruling junta faced increasing difficulties.
Repression and Intimidation
During this period, the Mechanism collected significant evidence of atrocious war crimes, such as airstrikes on schools, religious institutions and hospitals, mutilations of people detained during armed conflict, and beheadings and public displays of mutilated and sexually mutilated bodies.
“Many of these crimes were committed with the intent to sow fear among the civilian population,” said Nicholas Kumjyan.
Torture in custody
The mechanism also investigates cases of unlawful deprivation of liberty, including arbitrary detention and manifestly unfair trials. Thousands of people have been arrested, many of whom have been tortured or killed in custody. There is widespread evidence of systematic torture, including severe physical and psychological abuse, such as beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation and sleep deprivation. There is also evidence of gang rapes and other violent sexual and gender-based crimes committed in detention. The victims include people of all genders and ages, including children.
The Evidence Base
The findings of the report are based on information and evidence collected from more than 900 sources, including more than 400 eyewitness accounts. They are supported by a wealth of photographic, video, audio and forensic evidence.
Crimes of Opponents of the Junta
While the vast majority of the information collected by the Mechanism concerns crimes committed by Myanmar security forces, there is also credible evidence of crimes committed by armed groups fighting against the junta, including extrajudicial killings of civilians suspected of being informants or collaborators.