The United Nations says the human rights situation in Myanmar has deteriorated to a “new low”, with worsening abuses against the Rohingya minority and the devastating effects of illegal economic activities, including rare-earth mining.
According to a new report from the UN Human Rights Office, the Myanmar military’s efforts to maintain control and legitimacy following its 2021 coup have intensified the suffering of civilians.
The military has reportedly used airstrikes, arson, forced displacement and denial of humanitarian assistance as it battles ethnic armed groups and militias across the resource-rich country.
The UN estimates that 8,075 civilians, including 1,074 children, have been killed since the 2021 coup, with at least 1,241 deaths recorded over the past year. However, the actual figure could be significantly higher, with open-source data suggesting that as many as 15,731 civilians may have been killed since the coup.
The conflict has also pushed the number of internally displaced people to about 3.6 million. Meanwhile, approximately 12.4 million people are facing acute hunger, while around 400,000 young children and mothers are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Rohingya facing continued abuses
In Rakhine State, the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, an influential ethnic armed group fighting the military, have continued to commit widespread violations against the predominantly Muslim Rohingya population, according to the UN.
The violence comes nine years after a military crackdown forced about 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
The UN report accused the Arakan Army of arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, forced labour and recruitment, as well as the destruction of villages and religious sites.
Rohingya people attempting to escape forced recruitment have reportedly been detained and subjected to severe abuse. Former detainees described beatings, fingernail removal and the use of chilli on their genitals.
Illegal mining worsens crisis
The UN also warned that the lack of the rule of law has contributed to the growth of illegal economic activities and transnational criminal networks.
Illegal rare-earth mining has expanded significantly in Kachin and Shan states. Satellite imagery reportedly identified 302 new mining sites in Kachin State since 2021, representing a 149 percent increase.
Mining waste has also contaminated the environment and affected maternal and reproductive health, with increased cases of miscarriages and pregnancy complications linked to exposure to heavy metals and chemicals.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the findings as deeply troubling, saying the report portrays widespread suffering and cruelty across Myanmar.
He urged governments, companies and investors to reconsider their involvement in the country and to question whether their actions—or failure to act—are fair to the people of Myanmar.
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