Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar
(1-09-2024 to 15-09-2024)
(43) months ago, on 1 February, 2021, the military junta attempted an illegal coup, toppled the civilian government, and unlawfully detained State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and other senior members of the civilian government, parliamentarians and activists. Since then, the military junta has ignored the will of the people of Myanmar, placed the country in turmoil, and made people suffer tremendously as a result of its inhumane and disproportionate acts.
As of 15 September 2024, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military has ruthlessly killed 5,665 people and arrested another 27,386 people. 20,898 people remain in detention and 167 people have been sentenced to death, including 119 post-coup death row prisoners and 44 in absentia since 1 February 2021, when the military unleashed systematic and targeted attacks and violence against innocent civilians. Four democracy activists who were sentenced to death were executed by the military junta in July 2022.
Crimes committed Across Myanmar by the Junta Troops and its affiliates
Crimes perpetrated by the junta troops and its associates, militias across Myanmar include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and the targeting of civilians, including children. These atrocities have led to widespread displacement, destruction of civilian properties, and a climate of fear and insecurity among the civilian population. The junta's widespread and systematic tactics of brutality are aimed at suppressing dissent and maintaining its grip on power, regardless of the human cost and violations of international law.
According to the data collected by the AAPP, from September 1 to 15, 2024, (28) women were killed by the junta across the country, including (3) deaths under the age of 18. The identities of these victims have been verified. Among the (28) fatalities, the highest cause of death came from the junta’s airstrikes, which killed (22) women.
Mass Murders, War Crimes, and Crimes against Humanity Committed by the Military Junta
Military Junta’s ‘Counterattack’ Targets Civilians, Killing 40, Including Children
The Irrawaddy reveal that the military junta has stepped up deadly airstrikes on civilian targets including a school, a bazaar, towns, and an IDP camp, killing at least 40 people including a dozen children on the first week of September 2024.
The aerial massacres came after junta’s leader Min Aung Hlaing’s recent vow to launch counterattacks to retake territory seized by resistance forces. Resistance groups and rights bodies said the junta was brazenly escalating its campaign of war crimes by targeting civilian populations in retaliation for battlefield and territory losses.
Revolutionary groups also reiterated their demand for the United Nations, European Union (EU) and ASEAN to ban exports of aviation fuel and ammunition to the military junta and take effective action that prevents junta war crimes against civilians.
A series of junta airstrikes on civilian targets in Chin, Shan and Karenni States and Magwe, Sagaing and Mandalay Regions have killed dozens of civilians including women and children.
On 6 September, a junta fighter jet used 300-lb bombs and machine guns to attack a school at Lat Yat Ma Village in Myaing Township, Magwe Region despite the absence of clashes in the area. The attack killed six villagers, including a child, and wounded more than 10 others, according to a local source, We Love Myaing. A dozen cows belonging to residents were also killed in the strike, which destroyed school buildings and nearby houses. The same day saw junta airstrikes damage houses in villages in Mandalay Region’s Natogyi Township and Mindat Township, Chin State.
At 1.35 am on 6 September, junta fighter jets dropped two 500-lb bombs on residential wards of Namkham Town near the Chinese border in northern Shan State, killing at least 13 civilians including a child and a pregnant woman. The attack also wounded 11 others and destroyed at least six houses. Just hours earlier, a junta fighter jet bombed an IDP camp in Pekon Township, southern Shan State, killing 10 civilians including eight children, and wounding 14 others.
Junta warplanes also bombed Nanmekon town and nearby villages in Loikaw Township in neighboring Karenni (Kayah) State 4 and 5 September 2024, killing a resident and destroying civilian infrastructure. The Interim Executive Committee of Karenni State on 6 September 2024 urged the international community to bring a war crimes case against the junta at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On 8 September, junta aircrafts also bombed a bazaar in Maung Kone village, which is under the control of People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) in Tigyaing Township, Sagaing Region, killing nine civilians including a child.
At least 11 civilians killed in airstrikes on Namkham in northern Shan State
Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reported that the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has said that airstrikes by the military junta Air Force in Namkham Township, northern Shan State, killed at least 11 civilians, including two children and a pregnant woman. The attack occurred on 6 September 2024, roughly 20 miles southwest of the Myanmar-China border town of Muse. Eleven others were injured in the strikes, according to a member of the Brotherhood Alliance.
A local rescue team in Namkham confirmed that a family of three was among those killed, although the exact number of casualties is still unclear, as several injured civilians are being treated in the hospital. The military’s airstrikes hit three civilian residential areas of Namkham, which has been under TNLA control since December 2023. Despite the absence of ground fighting between the TNLA and the military junta forces since then, residents noted that another airstrike occurred on 4 September.
The TNLA has insisted the military junta of committing war crimes by regularly targeting civilians with 500-lb bombs. The military has intensified its air campaign against the population residing in the resistance-held towns and territories in the past week, including attacks in Mantong on 3 September and Hsipaw on 4 September, which left one civilian dead and three others wounded. Both towns are under TNLA control.
Military junta’s leader Min Aung Hlaing stated that the military aims to retake areas controlled by the TNLA and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in northern Shan State. On 9 September, the military junta officially declared the TNLA, MNDAA, and the Arakan Army (AA) as terrorist organizations.
Since the Brotherhood Alliance launched Operation 1027 in late October, the TNLA has seized control of at least 10 towns. A ceasefire brokered by China in January temporarily halted military losses to the Brotherhood Alliance, but fighting resumed in late June under what resistance forces have dubbed the second wave of Operation 1027.
Myanmar junta forces seen encouraging each other to commit rape in online video
A disturbing video clip has been circulating on pro-junta online propaganda channels since last week of August 2024, showing uniformed men, believed to be either soldiers or junta-trained militia members, encouraging each other to commit sexual violence against women in a village in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region. The clip, recorded on a cell phone and lasting just under four minutes, shows the men approaching the village. One man points out the presence of women, crudely stating there are about 10 girls.
The video, which first appeared on 28 August 2024 on a pro-junta Telegram channel, claims to depict junta troops “clearing” the area of local resistance groups with assistance from Pyu Saw Htee militias. These militias, trained and armed by the junta, are active in northern Gangaw Township. The men in the footage are mostly in army uniforms with militia badges, some identifiable by red scarves tied around their necks.
Local sources identified the village in the footage as being near Shwe Bo, approximately three miles north of Myauk Khin Yan, stronghold of the Pyu Saw Htee militias. Myanmar Now has not yet been able to verify the exact location where the video was filmed.
Resistance members noted that the weapons seen in the clip are typically used by regular junta army soldiers, leading them to believe the footage was recorded recently, likely following a resupply of arms earlier this year. Myauk Khin Yan, located on the Kalay-Gangaw road, is not only a militia stronghold but also strategically significant for junta forces based at the Regional Operations Command in Kalay, Sagaing Region.
Myauk Khin Yan has a history of violence, including an incident in February where gruesome footage circulated showing militia members and junta troops burning two resistance fighters alive. The victims were members of the Yaw Defence Force, captured by junta forces and militias based in Myauk Khin Yan.
Despite occasional advances, junta forces based in Myauk Khin Yan have only managed to enter nearby villages, including Shwe Bo and Thin Taw, around five times since then, according to resistance sources. Most residents of Thin Taw have fled after army arson attacks destroyed much of the village, leaving it nearly deserted except for a few standing structures, such as a monastery.
In the video circulating in the first half of September 2024, locals identified a building in the footage as a shelter in a cemetery on the northwest edge of Shwe Bo, close to the Kalay-Gangaw road. More than two-thirds of Shwe Bo, once home to over 400 houses, has been destroyed by junta forces, forcing most residents to flee.
A People’s Defense Force officer based in a nearby village described how junta forces advancing from Myauk Khin Yan often split into multiple columns, regrouping in Shwe Bo. Despite advances in August, resistance forces reported that the junta troops failed to take over base camps in the region, with clashes near Shwe Bo on 18 August resulting in casualties on both sides.
The junta forces’ brutality has been well documented. In February this year, a column from Myauk Khin Yan advanced into Shwe Bo, arresting and killing 10 local civilians while taking others, including women and children, as hostages. In May, they reportedly tortured and beheaded a local man with a mental disorder.
Reports of sexual violence by junta troops are common, particularly during village raids and interrogations, according to a United Nations report from February 2023. It's important to note that the use of rape as a weapon of war is a serious violation of human rights and international humanitarian law.
Lashio hit by junta airstrikes as efforts to return to normal continue
Northern Shan State’s largest city, Lashio, was hit by airstrikes late last week of August, a reminder of the conflict that saw it come under the control of an ethnic armed group less than a month ago according to the Myanmar Now’s report. No casualties were reported in the incident, but a house and a school were damaged when a junta warplane dropped two bombs on the city’s Ward 9 on 30 August 2024.
Since falling to the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on 3 August, Lashio has been slowly recovering from the month of intense fighting that preceded that dramatic event. The ethnic Kokang armed group has worked to restore services as residents trickle back in. The man, a 30-year resident of Lashio, noted that while the area is slowly recovering, it remains far from recapturing the lively and thriving ambiance it once possessed.
Schools remain closed, and several educational facilities, including Lashio University, still bear the scars of war. As a result, many displaced residents have relocated to safer areas, whether under military junta control or in nearby towns held by anti-junta forces, to secure their children’s education. While most remain reluctant to settle back into their old lives, many have made brief visits to ensure they still have something to return to when the time comes.
“I’ve just come back to my home to clean and secure it,” said a woman from Ward 1 who, like many others, worried about thieves stealing her property in her absence. She added that her children were the main reason that she is not yet ready to return for good. They’ve started school elsewhere and need to continue their education, she said. Meanwhile, the MNDAA continues its efforts to establish an administrative mechanism in the city, including by forming a police force to ensure public safety. Security units can be seen patrolling neighbourhoods around Lashio, according to returning residents.
The group has also resumed healthcare services in Lashio Hospital and is providing wifi service in each residential ward to facilitate communication. The MNDAA has also invited civil servants who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement after the coup to return to their jobs. So far, it says, at least 270 have reapplied for their positions.
While roads in the city have now been cleared of rubble, many buildings are still in ruins, bullet-riddled and barely standing. Some can be repaired, but others will need to be demolished and rebuilt. However, some residents claim that the damage is relatively minor compared to what they have seen in other areas in northern Shan State, likely due to the city’s relatively large size.
Four civilians killed, two injured in Myanmar junta airstrike south of Mandalay
On 1 September 2024, a junta airstrike targeted Myin Chan Kone Village in Kyaukpadaung, Mandalay Region, killing four civilians in an area with no recent fighting, Myanmar Now reported. Warplanes dropped six bombs on the village, located about 20 miles northeast of Mount Popa, a landmark that sits 90 miles south of Mandalay. The Myingyan District People’s Defence Force (PDF), which operates nearby, reported that the area was not part of their mission zone, and no resistance fighters were present at the time of the attack.
The bombs hit a family’s home, resulting in four deaths and injuring two others. The Kyaukpadaung Youth Network and resistance forces confirmed the casualties, though details about the victims are still being verified. As of now, the military council has not issued a statement about the airstrike.
This attack came a day after resistance forces launched an operation targeting junta police in Kyaukpadaung Township, which borders Myingyan District. That 1 September, the resistance ambushed a police vehicle near Let Pan Pyar Village, killing three officers from the Kyaukpadaung Myoma police station. These deaths were later confirmed by both police sources and pro-junta Telegram channels.
Myanmar military bombards village near Hpakant after losing police outpost
Myanmar Now reported that the military junta launched airstrikes near Hpakant, a jade-mining town in Kachin State, following the capture of a police outpost by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) early on 12 September. The KIA, alongside its allies, began attacking the outpost near Hseng Taung village late 11 September, leading to heavy fighting that lasted throughout the night. By 12 September morning, the outpost had fallen to the KIA, with reports of junta casualties and prisoners taken.
Hours later, the military retaliated by dropping bombs on the village, including near the Lucky Man Hotel, where military junta forces had been holding hostages. Footage shared on social media showed a military jet dropping bombs, resulting in explosions and fires in the area. The strikes targeted the newly captured outpost, as fighting around the hotel remained fierce until noon, after which junta forces reportedly withdrew.
KIA spokesperson Col. Naw Bu confirmed that fighting was still ongoing on 12 September, but the extent of further casualties from the airstrikes remained unclear. He condemned the airstrikes as war crimes, noting that the military seemed intent on destroying everything in their path, with little regard for civilian lives.
Human Rights Abuses
Military Junta tightens rules on importing pharmaceuticals
Military junta has imposed new restrictions on the import of pharmaceuticals in an effort to shore up the country’s dwindling foreign currency reserves, according to the Myanmar Now’s report. Under the new rules, which went into effect on 1 September 2024, pharmaceutical importers must repatriate export earnings in order to receive an import licence.
The restriction was set by the military controlled Foreign Exchange Supervisory Committee. Junta controlled Ministry of Commerce announced the move in a notice sent to the Myanmar Chamber of Commerce for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices on 28 August 2024. The notice also stated that import licence applications submitted online through the TradeNet 2.0 system would no longer be accepted.
According to the notice, 116 pharmaceutical companies that received licences under the system in October of last year will have to reapply. The total value of these licences is US$104 million. A representative of a Yangon-based pharmaceutical import and export company, who requested anonymity, confirmed the authenticity of the notification and indicated that the new restrictions might lead to a shortage of medicines in the market. While the junta’s restrictions might reduce foreign currency expenditures, traders say they will likely result in shortages of imported goods that could lead to price increases. One pharmaceutical company representative said that there is already a shortage of pharmaceuticals, and the market prices for these products have risen significantly.
A Yangon-based economic analyst suggested that the junta’s actions underscore the depth of its foreign currency crisis. He said they are clearly running low on foreign currency. Exports need to be conducted before imports can happen. But the new system is complicated, and medicine shortages might increase, leading to more black market activities, he added. Pharmaceutical distributors report that due to the junta’s foreign currency controls, the shortage of medicines has worsened. About 90% of the country’s medicine needs are met through imports.
Some essential medicines, such as insulin for diabetics, have become difficult to find, with remaining stocks running low. Certain popular brands are no longer available at all, according to a pharmacist in Pindiya, Shan State. He also mentioned that medicines believed to be produced by Chinese companies are entering the market, but their quality is reported to be poor. More than three years after seizing power, the junta is increasingly isolated, facing not only widespread domestic resistance, but also an array of international sanctions. The value of the national currency, the kyat, has plummeted since the coup, driving up prices for everything from energy to consumer goods.
Junta imprisons more than 140 Rakhine State residents for alleged AA ties
Military junta sentenced 140 individuals from a village near Sittwe, Rakhine State, to three years in prison for alleged links to the ethnic armed group, according to Myanmar Now’s report. The sentencing took place at a court in Sittwe Prison on 30 August 2024. All of those sentenced had been arrested around three months earlier during a raid by junta forces in Byine Phyu Village. The raid resulted in the killing of nearly 80 residents.
Relatives of the prisoners reported that they have not been permitted to visit them since the arrests. One woman, whose 65-year-old husband and two sons-in-law were among those sentenced-victim, said they were convicted under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act. She described how her husband sustained chest and back injuries from beatings by junta troops, while one of her sons-in-law was left bleeding from the ear.
The families of the prisoners, many of whom could not afford legal representation, expressed their despair. One wife lamented the hardship of surviving without her husband, explaining that she is now living in a monastery. She described the impact of her husband’s imprisonment as deeply painful, as she has no other family.
The raid on Byine Phyu occurred on 29 May, when junta soldiers rounded up all the residents of the ward, which houses over 1,000 households on the northern outskirts of Sittwe. After killing four people during the initial raid, soldiers separated the men from the women and interrogated the men about alleged connections to the Arakan Army (AA), the ethnic armed group that has been fighting for control of Rakhine State since November 2023. Junta troops reportedly beat and shot over 70 men at point-blank range and raped and murdered three young women during the raid.
Following the killings, the junta detained nearly 300 men, accusing them of collaborating with the AA. Last week, 144 of these men were sentenced in Sittwe, while the surviving women were released. Many of the remaining residents of Byine Phyu village are now sheltering in monasteries, too fearful of further junta attacks to move freely.
With ongoing clashes between the AA and junta forces in Rakhine State, the situation in Sittwe remains tense. The junta’s blockade of land and sea routes around Sittwe has made it difficult for residents to flee. Some who could afford it have flown to cities like Yangon and Mandalay.
The AA has captured much of northern Rakhine State, including most of Maungdaw, and continues to attack the Maung Shwe Lay naval base, the junta’s last outpost in Thandwe Township. The AA now controls nine of Rakhine State’s 17 townships, as well as Paletwa Township in Chin State. Fighting remains in several areas, including Gwa Township and Kyeintali.
Young men no longer allowed to leave southern Myanmar town to enter Thailand
Junta authorities have started preventing young men from leaving the southern Myanmar town of Kawthaung to travel to neighbouring Thailand, according to local residents. This restriction, which applies to men aged 18 to 35, went into effect on 2 September 2024 according to Myanmar Now. Kawthaung is Myanmar’s southernmost town, and is located in Tanintharyi Region opposite the Thai town of Ranong. Traffic between the two towns, across the Kraburi (Pak Chan) River, is usually heavy, as many locals work in Ranong or do business there.
A local resident said that the shore is completely quiet now. Usually, we see between 400 and 500 people crossing the border daily. But now that young people can’t leave, both the locals and the traders are out of work. Many Kawthaung residents have blue border passes valid for two years, allowing them to travel to and from Thailand. Non-residents receive green border passes, valid for seven days. Passport holders can also cross the Kawthaung border checkpoint, which is one of four official entry points into Thailand from Myanmar.
The new travel ban in Kawthaung is seen as the latest measure by the junta to prevent young people from leaving the country to avoid coercive forced conscription. Earlier this year, the junta began enforced conscription to address heavy battlefield losses and low recruitment. Men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 are forced to serve three to five years in the military. Since the assumption of forced conscription in February, approximately 25,000 new recruits have completed their training.
On 15 August 2024, the junta began barring holders of PV (visitor) passports, issued for tourism, from departing through airports and border checkpoints. This followed the junta’s decision in May to ban conscription-age men from going abroad for work.
Junta declares ethnic alliance members ‘terrorist organisations’
Military junta has officially labelled the three members of the Brotherhood Alliance as “terrorist” organisations, according to a notice published by state media on 3 September 2024. The decision, made by the junta’s Anti-Terrorism Central Committee, comes more than 10 months after the alliance’s launch of a major anti-junta offensive in northern Shan State in October of last year. The three members of the alliance—the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Arakan Army (AA)—have since inflicted substantial losses on the junta in areas near Myanmar’s border with China and along the country’s western coast.
The AA, which now controls more than half of Rakhine State, was previously designated a terrorist organisation in March 2020. A month after staging an illegal coup, the junta revoked the AA’s terrorist designation in an effort to “restore durable peace nationwide”. However, the junta’s tenure has seen an unprecedented escalation of violence, resulting in the military losing control over border regions as well as parts of central Myanmar. In January this year, the junta and the alliance agreed to a Chinese-brokered ceasefire in northern Shan State, but fighting persisted in other regions. Following the collapse of the truce on 25 June, the MNDAA and TNLA have continued to gain ground. The MNDAA has captured Lashio, the largest city in northern Shan State, while the TNLA has seized nearly a dozen towns, including the ruby-mining town of Mogok in Mandalay Region, in recent months.
The junta’s designation of the Brotherhood Alliance members as terrorist organisations comes just days after the TNLA said that it had received a letter from Chinese authorities warning the group to halt its offensive against the junta. In May 2021, the junta designated the publicly mandated National Unity Government (NUG) and the People’s Defence Force, as well as the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, as terrorist organisations. The NUG also regularly refers to the military junta as a terror group.
Actions of Resistance Forces against the Junta
Arakan Army captures junta naval base on Myanmar’s west coast
According to the Myanmar Now and other multiple local media outlets, the Arakan Army (AA) has taken full control of Rakhine State’s Thandwe Township after capturing the military junta’s Maung Shwe Lay Naval Base. The base, officially known as the Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot, first came under attack on 7 August. It is located between the villages of Maung Shwe Lay and Kwin Wying. AA statement mentioned that after a nearly month-long offensive, the Arakan Army finally captured the junta’s naval base at around 6pm on 5 September. It added that it succeeded in taking the base despite coming under heavy fire from ground, air, and navy forces.
Thandwe Township has a population of around 130,000 and includes some of Myanmar’s most famous beach resorts, most of them owned by military generals and their cronies. The AA launched a state-wide offensive in November of last year as part of Operation 1027, which has seen the junta lose control of wide swathes of northern Shan State. There were around 1,200 junta troops stationed at the base when the conflict started, according to the AA. More than a third were killed in the fighting, the group claimed. The rest fled and were reportedly redeployed to other battlefields.
Most of the dead and injured were taken away by navy ships to Ayeyarwady Region but some bodies were left behind and had to be buried, the AA statement said. Photos released with the statement show AA soldiers in front of the base as well as captured weapons and a helicopter that was also seized. In retaliation for its losses, junta troops based in Sittwe, the state capital, launched a series of attacks on 6 September targeting neighbouring Pauktaw Township, which is controlled by the AA. Several civilians were injured and a number of houses were damaged in those attacks, according to reports.
On 9 September 2024, local media outlet Narinjara quoted AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha as saying that around 20 people, including children, healthcare workers, and prisoners of war, were killed by airstrikes on Pauktaw on Sunday. Another 15 were injured, he said. With the capture of Thandwe, the AA now has 10 of Rakhine State’s 17 townships under its control, as well as Paletwa Township in southern Chin State.
Activities of the National Unity Government and Ethnic Groups
NUG Holds EOCC Meeting to Address Flood Disaster Response Due to Typhoon Yagi
On 14 September, 2024, the National Unity Government convened a meeting of the Emergency Operation Cooperation Committee (EOCC) to address the ongoing flood disaster caused by Typhoon Yagi. The committee discussed various plans and measures to respond to the crisis, focusing on mitigating the impact of water hazards and coordinating efforts among relevant working groups. The meeting highlighted the importance of raising awareness and providing timely warnings to prevent future disasters. Key topics included strategies to minimize the risk of loss of life during disasters, rescue and assistance efforts, and reuniting family members separated or lost in the chaos. Additionally, the committee discussed preparations for post-disaster recovery and ensuring effective access to international aid for relief efforts.
NUG and ABSDF Signed MoU for Cooperation in Political, Military, and Financial Sectors
On 12, September 2024, the National Unity Government (NUG) and the All-Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) built on mutual understanding, political dignity, and mutual recognition. The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration in various sectors, including political, public mobilization, military, and financial fields. This agreement signifies a commitment to work together in advancing shared goals, with both the NUG and ABSDF uniting their efforts to strengthen their positions in the ongoing struggle for democracy and national liberation in Myanmar.
NUG Provides Emergency Support for Flood and War Victims
On 12 September 2024, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management the National Unity Government announced that it is providing emergency food supplies to those affected by floods caused by heavy rains from Typhoon Yagi on 11 September. The ministry emphasized its support for people displaced by war and now facing additional hardship due to the floods. Local humanitarian groups, township public protection and rescue teams, and public administration groups at the ward and township levels are actively participating in rescue efforts. They are particularly focused on assisting vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and war refugees.
Myanmar Ambassador Urges Global Action to Protect Children amid Crisis
On 3 September 2024, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the UN, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, addressed the UNICEF Executive Board, emphasizing the dire situation children face in conflict zones globally, including Myanmar. He praised UNICEF’s efforts, highlighting its critical role in preventing gender-based violence and supporting mental health and psychosocial support for affected children.
Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun condemned the military junta for atrocities committed since the 2021 coup, which have severely impacted the country's children. He noted that forced conscription, widespread displacement, and the collapse of health and education systems have worsened humanitarian needs, with 6 million children among the 18.6 million in urgent need of aid.
The ambassador called on the international community, including the UN, to collaborate with Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) and Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs) to deliver lifesaving assistance. He reaffirmed Myanmar's commitment to ending military dictatorship and building a federal democratic union to protect the nation’s current and future generations.
Response of the International Community
Human Rights Watch Calls on UN Security Council to Act as Myanmar Crisis Worsens
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is facing repeated calls to take action on the escalating crisis in Myanmar, with Human Rights Watch (HRW) emphasizing the need to prevent further atrocities. HRW mentioned that despite clear warnings from senior UN officials, the Council has remained largely inactive and silent in recent months. This inaction comes as calls for reform within the Council grow louder, with critics pointing to its inability to respond decisively to crises like Myanmar's as evidence of its shortcomings.
HRW stated that while UN agencies such as UNICEF and the acting UN resident coordinator in Myanmar have condemned recent attacks on civilians in Rakhine State, the UNSC has not held an open meeting on Myanmar since April 2024. The Council’s failure to act contrasts sharply with the more proactive responses from the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly, both of which have adopted nonbinding resolutions calling for an arms embargo and a halt to jet fuel supplies to the military junta.
HRW also highlighted the need for international accountability, urging the UNSC to refer Myanmar's situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Although the ICC is investigating crimes against the Rohingya, its jurisdiction is currently limited to crimes committed in Bangladesh, an ICC member. Expanding the court's mandate could help address the broader atrocities in Myanmar.
In addition, HRW called on the Council to enforce the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice in the ongoing genocide case brought by Gambia against Myanmar. The UN high commissioner for human rights noted in a June report that actions by all parties in Myanmar appear inconsistent with these binding measures, yet the Council has remained silent.
As the crisis deepens, the UNSC’s inability to act risks tarnishing its credibility, especially as its great-power dynamics continue to obstruct meaningful responses. HRW argues that this inaction, particularly on the part of the UK, which leads on Myanmar issues in the Council, threatens to undermine the body’s long-standing commitment to protecting international human rights.
FORUM-ASIA condemns the military junta’s plan to expand the age limit for forced conscription
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns the military junta‟s plan to expand the age limit of its forced conscription policy. We are calling on the international community to express solidarity with the people of Myanmar. The junta‟s plan to extend the age limit of forced conscription represents its desperate attempt to tighten its grip on power amid its losing streak against the growing pro-democracy resistance movement. On 25 August 2024, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing announced plans to introduce a new “security system with public participation,” which required men aged 35 to 60 to serve as guards, with the possibility of being sent to the frontlines of fighting forces. The military junta is also forcibly abducting and arresting citizens, using them as human shields, according to local news and human rights groups. FORUM-ASIA calls on the military junta to immediately halt its forced conscription policy, abductions, forced labor, and use of civilians as human shields. “FORUM-ASIA urges the international community, including the UN and ASEAN to thoroughly investigate the military junta’s long list of human rights violations. The junta should be held accountable for all its crimes through sanctions and other punitive measures,” said Mary Aileen Diez Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA. “The international community must urgently isolate the junta and support the people of Myanmar in their struggle for justice and freedom,” Bacalso added.
UN Investigative Mechanism Warns of Escalating War Crimes and Impunity in Myanmar
At the 57th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, presented a stark report detailing the escalation of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar. Koumjian expressed deep concern over increasingly brutal attacks, many targeting civilians, and the surge in aerial bombings by the Min Aung Hlaing led military. He mentioned these airstrikes have hit civilian areas across the country, including a wedding party, monasteries, and schools. Notably, recent airstrikes in Northern Shan State killed around a dozen civilians, including a pregnant woman and two children.
The report highlighted widespread abuses against those detained by the military, with victims subjected to torture, including beatings, electric shocks, and sexual assault. Koumjian emphasized the dire situation in Rakhine State. The Rohingya, already vulnerable, are being directly targeted, with many forcibly displaced.
Koumjian underscored that these atrocities are the result of decades of impunity of junta military in Myanmar, calling for accountability. The Independent Mechanism has shared over one million evidence items with international bodies, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in ongoing proceedings related to crimes against the Rohingya.
Despite progress, the Mechanism faces significant challenges, including limited access to crime scenes and witnesses within Myanmar. Koumjian praised the courageous individuals and civil society organizations that provide crucial information, often at great personal risk. He called on states, particularly those in the region, to support efforts to end Myanmar’s cycle of violence and impunity, stressing that words alone are insufficient to address the escalating crisis.
The Mechanism’s continued efforts to gather and authenticate evidence, despite the challenging environment, remain vital in the pursuit of justice for the victims of Myanmar’s atrocities.
ICRC President Advocates for Increased Humanitarian Access in Myanmar
The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called for urgent action in response to the rising humanitarian needs in Myanmar. Communities in conflict-affected areas are facing severe challenges in accessing basic necessities such as healthcare, sanitation, clean water, food, and shelter. The breakdown of healthcare services has led to an increase in preventable diseases, while shortages of medical supplies are worsening conditions for the wounded and chronically ill. Thousands of families have been displaced by ongoing violence, often fleeing with only the clothes on their backs.
At the conclusion of her visit, the ICRC President appealed for greater humanitarian access to civilians in need throughout the country. Her visit included a stop in Rakhine State, where she observed firsthand the dire humanitarian situation.
Many families across Myanmar lack access to basic medicines, healthcare, and clean water. Food shortages are prevalent, and the disruption of livelihoods has left countless people without means of sustenance. The persistent fear of conflict and violence further exacerbates their suffering. The use of high-impact explosive weapons in populated areas has contributed to a significant rise in civilian casualties. Additionally, restrictions on the movement of people and goods have severely limited access to essential services for many communities.
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Date: 15 September 2024
Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations, New York
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