Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar (01-09-2025 to 15-09-2025)

Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar

(01-09-2025 to 15-09-2025)

Over (55) months ago, on 1 February 2021, the military junta attempted an illegal coup, toppled the elected 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 2025, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military junta has ruthlessly killed 7,257 people and arrested another 29,685 people. 22,409 people remain in detention and 168 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.

Moreover, over 3.6 million people are being displaced. Almost 22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Among them, over 10.4 million are women and girls, and over 6.3 million are children. 112,485 houses were burned down throughout Myanmar since the illegal coup until the end of December 2024, according to the report of 27 February 2025 by Data for Myanmar.

According to the UNDP, 49.7 % of the population in Myanmar was living under the national poverty line in 2023. Again, its report in June 2025 revealed that even in Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon, nearly half of the city’s population lives in poverty, and the economic collapse, displacement, and inadequate services are pushing more families into poverty every day.

Moreover, due to the complete dismantle of rule of law by the junta, transnational organized crimes including online scam, drug and human trafficking are rising across the country and generating security implication to the region and beyond.

Unfortunately, the suffering of the people has been compounded by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake which struck Myanmar on 28 March. Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region and Nay Pyi Taw were among the hardest hits. Due to the earthquake, almost 4,200 people killed, over 3,680 people injured. Over 3.2 million people were affected. Infrastructures as well as houses and religious facilities were severely destroyed.

Amidst such people suffering, the military junta has continued carrying out of atrocities, aerial and artillery attacks across the country.

According to the data collected by AAPP, from 1 to 16 September, 2025, (12) people in total; (7) women and (5) men, were killed by the junta’s artillery strikes across the country, including one girl under the age of 18. The identities of these victims have been verified. Among the deaths, Kayah State, Bago Region and Sagaing Region recorded the highest number of fatalities, totaling (3) each. During the stated period in that region, the AAPP has also received information regarding the death of (8) civilians, as a result of junta’s artillery strikes, whose identities have yet to be confirmed.

War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Mass Murders Committed by the Military Junta

Junta Airstrike Kills 22 Students at Private Schools in Kyauktaw Township

Mizzima reported that on 12 September, junta air forces conducted an airstrike on Pyinyar Pan Kin and Amyin Thit schools in Thayettapin village, Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State, killing 22 students and injuring an unknown number. The village is located 60 miles northeast of the Arakan State capital Sittwe. Seven school buildings, including classrooms and dormitories, were either damaged or destroyed in the aerial bombardment, according to the Arakan Army. Kyauktaw Township came under AA control in February 2024.

The United Nations Children's Fund released a statement on 12 September condemning the attack, stating that targeted attacks on schools constitute a war crime under international law. The attack adds to a pattern of increasingly devastating violence in Rakhine State, with children and families paying the ultimate price, UNICEF stated. The UN warned of escalating violence and deepening hardship in Arakan, calling on all parties to stop attacks against civilians, safeguard schools and homes, and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in urgent need.

According to the AA, five airstrikes across the state killed 89 civilians and injured 91 others between January and August. The Arakan Army called on the international community not to stand by and watch the junta's war crimes and crimes against humanity, but to take effective action. The AA vowed to retaliate following the attack on the educational facilities.

Junta Violations Kill 35 Civilians in Karenni State During August

The Karenni Human Rights Group reported on 8 September that at least 35 civilians were killed and 47 others injured in Karenni (Kayah) State during August as a result of various human rights violations committed by junta forces.

The report stated that among the dead were three children and eight women, whilst the injured included six children and 13 women. The casualties were caused by junta airstrikes, heavy weapons fire, landmines, and shootings. In addition, 45 houses, one religious building, two schools, three clinics, one public building, six vehicles, and nine agricultural fields were destroyed during the month.

Junta forces carried out nine airstrikes and 13 incidents of shelling, alongside shootings and arrests in civilian areas across the state. One man was injured after stepping on a landmine, whilst another was shot dead by advancing junta troops in Demoso Township. At least 15 civilians were also arrested.

The junta's operations to secure townships for holding elections have forced people to continue fleeing. Between July and August, up to 200,000 people have been displaced, facing an extreme need for emergency food supplies and shelter, the KNHRG statement said.

The group called for urgent international assistance, including cross-border humanitarian aid, and urged the international community to take decisive action against the junta and comprehensively uproot its oppressive actions. The systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools and medical facilities, constitutes violations of international humanitarian law and represents crimes against humanity.

73 Women Killed Across Myanmar in August, Says Burmese Women's Union

The Burmese Women's Union reported on 8 September that 73 women were killed across Myanmar in August as a result of junta airstrikes, artillery attacks, arrests, and killings.

According to the report, 54 women were killed in aerial bombardments, seven by artillery shelling, three were burned to death, and one died due to sexual violence. Among the victims, 14 were minors under the age of 18.

The highest number of women killed were from Mandalay Region, where 27 fatalities were recorded, followed by 14 in Magway Region. Eight women were killed in Karenni State, seven each in Sagaing Region and Rakhine State, four each in Kachin State and Bago Region, and one each in Shan State and Tanintharyi Region.

Since the illegal military coup on 1 February 2021, the military junta has been committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and widespread human rights violations by various means for nearly five years, the BWU said in its statement.

The organization also noted that junta forces have increasingly relied on airstrikes compared to previous months. The figures in the report were compiled from media outlets and ground-level sources, but BWU cautioned that the actual number of victims may be higher. The systematic targeting and killing of women, including through sexual violence, represents grave violations of international humanitarian law and constitutes crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.

Human Rights Abuses   

Global Press Freedoms Plummet to Lowest Level in 50 Years, Myanmar Among Worst Performers

Press freedoms worldwide have declined significantly over the past five years to hit their lowest level in 50 years, a report by a democracy think tank showed on 11 September.

Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and Myanmar, already amongst the poorest performers in press freedoms, posted the biggest falls, the report by the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance stated.

The current state of democracy in the world is concerning, IDEA secretary general Kevin Casas-Zamora told AFP. More than half of countries in the world, 54 per cent, registered a drop in one of the five key democracy indicators between 2019 and 2024, the report said. The most important finding in report is the very acute deterioration in press freedom around the world, Casas-Zamora said. Between 2019 and 2024, it saw the biggest drop over the past 50 years. We have never seen such an acute deterioration in a key indicator of democratic health, he said.

ND-Burma Documents 320 Human Rights Violations in First Half of 2025

On 3 September, the Network for Human Rights Documentation-Burma released its first biannual report entitled Solidarity in the Struggle. The report documents the ongoing deteriorating human rights situation across Myanmar as documented by ND-Burma members during the first half of 2025.

According to documentation by ND-Burma members, from January to June 2025, there were 320 documented cases of human rights violations through 188 events across 12 regions and states in Burma. Of these, 158 were committed by junta forces, five by security forces mainly police officers, eight by various militias, seven by Ethnic Revolution Organizations, one by the People Defence Force, and nine remain unidentifiable.

The ongoing crimes committed by junta forces have created a worsening atmosphere of fear in Burma, where civilians are worried about their daily survival. The rise in airstrikes, in particular, has increased uncertainty. ND-Burma members all expressed concern for the communities in their targeted areas, which have endured immense suffering. With the situation far from improving, the international community is urgently called upon to respond to the crisis in Burma, including the escalating humanitarian emergency that has displaced over 3 million people.

Every day, people in Burma are just trying to survive as the junta unleashes airstrikes, indiscriminate artillery attacks, and arbitrary arrests. The suffering is real and continues to grow. As human rights defenders, we persist in documenting these abuses because the voices of survivors must be heard. The world must act now to stand with the people and ensure the junta is held accountable. Justice and accountability are long overdue, and we urge global actors to take urgent action to hold the junta responsible for its crimes, said Nai Aue Mon, Programme Director at the Human Rights Foundation of Monland.

Junta Sentences Man to Seven Years for Criticizing Upcoming Election

Junta forces have sentenced a man to seven years in prison for criticizing the upcoming election, it said on 9 September. Ko Nay Thway, 36, from Taunggyi, Shan State, criticized the election that is slated for the end of the year on Facebook, thereby violating the so-called new Election Protection Law issued on 29 July.

Ko Nay Thway, who operates the Lashio Baegyi account, shared a CCTV clip of a daylight robbery of two men assaulting a woman driver in Lashio, the capital of northern Shan State, on 25 August. The woman was shot in the legs by one of the robbers. Ko Nay Thway commented on the post, stating that if you want the votes from the people, think of serving the people.

The thrust of the argument seems to be that junta forces stand no chance of holding free and fair elections if they cannot even ensure basic security in a place like Lashio, which they recently took back from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.

As of 2 September, three people were being prosecuted under the so-called law, the junta’s Home Affairs Minister Tun Tun Naung told an election security meeting. An analyst said junta forces will probably prosecute more people to make an example of them.

The law carries penalties ranging from jail terms to the death sentence, three to five years in prison for election sabotage, five to 10 years for damaging ballot boxes, polling stations, or voting machines or life imprisonment if committed as a group, and 10 to 20 years for causing serious injury to voters, polling staff, candidates, or election officials. Any offence resulting in death is punishable by execution.

The criminalization of legitimate political expression and criticism violates fundamental freedoms of expression and opinion enshrined in international human rights law.

Tuberculosis Infections Surge Over 40 Per Cent since the Illegal Coup

Tuberculosis infections in Myanmar have surged by more than 40 per cent with the disease's fatality rate climbing to one in six cases, according to Myanmar Now.

Doctors told Myanmar Now that the surge has further strained a public health system already weakened by years of neglect and disruption since the illegal military coup. Then, the number of untreated patients has more than doubled, and deaths have also increased more than twofold, a physician told on condition of anonymity.

Research suggests that tuberculosis cases had been steadily declining under the civilian government after 2015, but have risen sharply in the four years since the attempted coup, according to World Health Organization. Myanmar has one of the highest rates in Southeast Asia for TB incidence and deaths, with a fatality rate of one in six cases compared to one in eight in Indonesia and one in 166 in the Philippines.

Following the 2021 attempted coup, harassment of Civil Disobedience Movement healthcare workers by junta forces, closure of private hospitals and clinics, and aerial attacks on medical facilities in resistance-held areas have thwarted efforts to meet TB eradication targets. In areas controlled by resistance forces and ethnic armed organizations, junta forces have blocked deliveries of medicines and diagnostic tools, leaving clinics without basic equipment needed to test for and treat TB.

Healthcare workers stated that patients in urban areas like Yangon may still receive medicine, but in regions outside junta control, people struggle to access treatment when aid from NGO organizations has been blocked. The systematic obstruction of healthcare access constitutes violations of the right to health under international law.

A Chinese Technology Firm Enables Junta Surveillance of 33.4 Million Internet Users

A Chinese technology company, Geedge Networks, is enabling junta forces to track the online activities and real-time locations of 33.4 million internet users, according to a report released on 9 September by Justice For Myanmar. A new report published exposes the significant collaboration between junta forces and Geedge Networks, giving junta forces unprecedented capabilities to track down, arrest, torture and kill civilians.

Justice For Myanmar's report, Silk Road of Surveillance stated that the role of the Geedge Networks and Myanmar telecommunications operators in the junta's digital terror campaign also exposes 13 telecommunications companies in Myanmar that are integral to the continued functioning of Geedge's sophisticated surveillance and censorship technology on behalf of junta forces.

These are ATOM formerly Telenor Myanmar, Mytel, Myanma Post and Telecommunications, Ooredoo Myanmar, Frontiir, StreamNet, Golden TMH Telecom, Internet Maekhong Network, Myanmar Broadband Telecom, Myanmar Telecommunication Network, Campana, Global Technology Group and China Unicom.

Geedge's transfer of a commercialized version of China's Great Firewall gives junta forces unrestricted access to the online activities of 33.4 million internet users in Myanmar. Notably, Geedge systems enable the tracking of network traffic at the individual level and can identify the geographic location of mobile subscribers in real time by linking their activity to specific cell identifiers. By providing hardware, software, training and support to junta forces, Geedge may be aiding and abetting in the commission of crimes against humanity, including the acts of torture and killing, carried out by junta forces.

The report is based on a leaked dataset that casts light on Geedge's business around the world, including Myanmar, and has been reviewed by a coalition of media and non-governmental organizations through the Great Firewall Export project, made up of Amnesty International, InterSecLab, the Globe and Mail, Paper Trail Media, Tor Project, DER STANDARD, and Follow The Money.

Justice For Myanmar demands sanctions against Geedge Networks and its leadership, and an international criminal investigation of individuals in directive and leadership positions of Geedge for aiding and abetting international crimes.

Surveillance supplied and installed by Geedge Networks and implemented in collaboration with internet service providers in Myanmar poses grave risks to anyone in Myanmar who dares to criticize the junta, speak truth to power and access independent sources of information, Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung said.

Geedge is helping junta forces to refine its capacity to track down, torture and kill activists and may thereby be aiding and abetting those crimes. The Geedge leak confirms that multiple internet service providers, internet gateways and fibre optic operators, including those currently operated by foreign companies, are now directly involved in junta weaponisation of the internet in Myanmar.

Activities of the National Unity Government

National Unity Government Raises Alarm Over Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's Health

The National Unity Government expressed grave concern on 8 September regarding the health of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains unlawfully detained by junta forces. According to her son, Ko Htein Lin, also known as Kim Aris, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is suffering from a serious heart condition and is being denied access to adequate medical care.

Junta forces' deliberate refusal to provide the urgent and effective medical treatment she requires constitutes a politically motivated threat to her life. Junta forces must bear full responsibility for any consequences that may arise, the NUG statement said.

The National Unity Government urgently called upon the United Nations, ASEAN, neighbouring countries, and the wider international community to take immediate and effective action to pressure junta forces to secure the prompt and safe release of all political prisoners, including State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in line with the aspirations of the people of Myanmar.

The denial of adequate medical care to prisoners constitutes a violation of international human rights law and may amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

NUG Urges China to Suspend Recognition of Junta Forces

On 1 September, the National Unity Government, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to the Chinese government on behalf of the people of Myanmar and the NUG. This letter was made public on 3 September.

In that letter, the NUG made three main requests: suspend recognition of junta forces, reject involvement in or monitoring of any junta-organized elections, and refrain from calling Min Aung Hlaing acting president. The NUG ascertained junta forces, under Min Aung Hlaing's leadership, of systematically committing atrocities, devastating the economy, pushing nearly half the population into poverty, and discouraging foreign investment.

The NUG also emphasized its collaboration with Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations and People's Defence Forces, asserting that it commands broad public support not only for resisting junta forces but also for building a federal democracy.

During a recent Mekong-Lancang meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed the importance of peace, an end to armed conflict, and governance that reflects the people's will. He also noted that junta forces are planning sham elections under coercion without public consent.

On 30 August, during Min Aung Hlaing's visit to Beijing, Chinese officials referred to him as Myanmar's acting president. Subsequently, the Chinese Embassy in Yangon quoted Xi Jinping supporting Myanmar's pursuit of a development path suited to its conditions whilst safeguarding sovereignty, security, and development interests.

The NUG warned that inviting Min Aung Hlaing could provoke public backlash in Myanmar and damage relations between the people of Myanmar and China. The international recognition of individuals responsible for crimes against humanity and violations of international law undermines global accountability mechanisms and contradicts fundamental principles of international human rights law.

Karen National Union Confirms Federal Transition Constitution to Be Finalized Before Junta Election

The Karen National Union has confirmed that the Federal Transition Constitution will be finalized before the election planned by junta forces, according to spokesperson Pado Saw Taw Nee. He added that once completed, the constitution will be presented to the international community, Mizzima reported.

Speaking at a press conference on 1 September on the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Sot, Pado Saw Taw Nee said the Federal Transition Constitution, also known as the Articles of Federal Transitional Arrangement, was a priority. The press conference was focused on preventing sexual violence and eliminating gender discrimination.

The decision to complete the Federal Transition Constitution has been made. No matter what, we will finish it before the junta's election. If we do not accept the junta's election, then the question arises: what kind of election will we hold? If we can show the world that we are proceeding with a new constitution, then we can move forward politically and militarily in our own way, he told Mizzima.

He explained that whilst it was difficult to give a percentage of progress, the draft would be ready ahead of junta planned polls in December. We are not working alone. For decades, other ethnic groups have been fighting on one side and preparing constitutions on the other. Those who joined the revolution more recently need more time for discussions and understanding. That is the reality, he said.

The drafting process involves nine organizations, including the Transitional Constitution Working Group under the National Unity Consultative Council, the National Unity Government, ethnic revolutionary organizations, and state-level representative councils.

Once the draft is complete, it will be approved by the NUCC and implemented in liberated areas, including ethnic regions, NUCC member U Toe Kyaw Hlaing told Mizzima on 25 August. The initiative stems from a joint announcement made on 12 February this year by the KNU, Karenni National Progressive Party, Chin National Front, New Mon State Party-Anti-Dictatorship, Karenni State Consultative Council, Pa-O National Federal Council, Mon State Federal Council, Ta'ang Political Consultative Council, and the Women's League of Burma. The groups stressed that the future Federal Democratic Union will not follow a centralized federal system but will instead adopt a bottom-up federalism model designed to limit centralized control.

Myanmar Ambassador Highlights Children's Crisis at UNICEF Executive Board Session

At the Second Regular Session 2025 of the UNICEF Executive Board on 2 September, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, stated that junta forces' campaign of terror against the people of Myanmar including children continues to intensify. Children bear the brunt of the crisis and their situation is dire.

The ambassador emphasized that Myanmar's crisis demands immediate attention, unwavering solidarity, and above all, timely and effective action from the international community.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stated that only by ending the military dictatorship and building a federal democratic union can children's access to safe, quality education and healthcare be restored, and can they be protected from unlawful conscription, child labour, and exploitation.

The ambassador concluded that this is a matter of humanity and that the international community must not fail the children of Myanmar.

Myanmar Ambassador Emphasizes Youth Participation for Sustainable Peace at UN Forum

At the High-Level Forum on Empowering Youth for a Culture of Peace at the United Nations General Assembly on 2 September, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, stated that meaningful participation and decision-making by youth are essential for building a sustainable culture of peace.

Regarding empowering youth for a culture of peace in Myanmar, the ambassador highlighted the need to create a nurturing environment for young people, promote peace education activities, end the culture of impunity, and support a home-grown, Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led peace process.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stated that many young people in Myanmar grew up during a period of expanding political and civil freedoms. Since the attempted coup, approximately 500,000 young people have left the country, which could have long-term implications for Myanmar's human capital and economic stability.

The ambassador emphasized that just and accountable institutions under civilian oversight are preconditions for a lasting and sustainable culture of peace in Myanmar. Young people are using all available means to resist the military dictatorship and its entrenched culture of impunity. Ambassador appealed to the international community to support the people of Myanmar and Myanmar's youth in their determination to end the military dictatorship and build a federal democratic union.

Myanmar Delegation Attends 80th UN General Assembly Session

The Myanmar delegation, led by Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, is attending the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which commenced on 9 September.

The closing ceremony of the 79th Session and the opening ceremony of the 80th Session were held on 9 September. H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock, former Foreign Minister of Germany, was elected as President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.

During the 79th Session from October 2024 to September 2025, the Myanmar delegation attended plenary meetings, main committee meetings, Security Council meetings, and meetings of UN subsidiary bodies, delivering statements that highlighted severe human rights violations committed by junta forces against the people of Myanmar and the efforts to end the military dictatorship and establish a federal democratic union.

Trade Union Confederation Condemns Junta for Misrepresenting Workers at ASEAN

The Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar strongly condemned junta forces for stealing the CTUM identity and presenting it to ASEAN as a representative of Myanmar workers, according to a press statement released on September second week.

According to the statement, the CTUM received registration as a Confederation on 13 July 2015 and had been a Myanmar workers representative at the National Tripartite Dialogue up to 2020. Only in 2021 when the attempted coup was staged, did CTUM, alongside other legitimate trade unions, withdraw from all forms of engagement with junta forces due to the denial of Freedom of Association essential for an independent National Tripartite Dialogue Mechanism.

Even though we were issued warrants, had our passports declared void, respecting our own constitution, CTUM held its Extraordinary Congress on 28th and 29th of November 2023 in Myanmar, the statement said. As CTUM did not accept the coup we did not see any need to report to them. The mechanism now used by junta forces is just a farce created since 2023 out of desperation to possibly prevent Article 33 of the International Labour Organization Constitution being applied by the ILO.

CTUM will only apply the independent complaints mechanism established directly by the ILO. In addition to this, CTUM urges the people of Myanmar to reject any mechanism established by junta forces and its allies.

Moreover, the CTUM is gravely concerned that participating in or submitting complaints to a mechanism run by junta forces will expose individuals to serious security risks. Those who submit complaints against the violation of junta troops, administrators, and followers will face retaliation or further abuse at the hands of the very perpetrators of forced labour.

The CTUM, together with its allies continues to vigorously monitor junta compliance with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry from both 1998 and 2023. CTUM points out to the ILO and the ILO Myanmar Liaison Office that the Myanmar Ministry of Labour officers are the same ones who have not fulfilled the recommendations of the 1998 Commission of Inquiry report on workers' rights violations.

CTUM calls on all workers, employers, and members of the international community to reject these so-called workers representatives. CTUM will continue to work independently, alongside international allies, to combat forced labour and advocate for the rights and safety of all workers in Myanmar.

CTUM warned the junta’s Ministry of Labour and their so-called workers representatives that proper judicial action is being followed up with the Burma Lawyers Council on Intellectual Property Rights for stealing CTUM logo and flag, IWFM flag and logo, BWFM flag and logo, and AFFM flag and logo. The misrepresentation of legitimate worker organizations and the persecution of independent trade unions constitute violations of freedom of association under international labour law.

NUG Pledges Support for UN Accountability Mechanisms at Human Rights Council

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, as represented by the National Unity Government, welcomed the enhanced interactive dialogue on Myanmar with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council on 9 September 2025. Myanmar also welcomed their corresponding reports on the human rights situation in Myanmar.

The High Commissioner and the IIMM Head shared a common message that the horrific human rights situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate. To Türk, it is plumbing new depths, with civilians throughout the country suffering the cruellest toll. To Koumjian, serious international crimes are being committed in Myanmar ever more frequently, and the suffering of Myanmar's people continues to worsen.

Collectively, the High Commissioner and the IIMM Head reported junta atrocities that include the resumed burning of villages, the abduction and forcible recruitment of civilians, systematic torture and sexual violence against detainees, the blockage of humanitarian assistance, and airstrikes targeting homes, hospitals, places of worship, internally displaced person camps, and schools. Both also addressed the worsening situation of the Rohingya and other minorities, with Türk stating that the decades-long persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Rakhine State has escalated.

Myanmar welcomed the calls to action issued by both OHCHR and the IIMM and pledged its continued support of efforts to convince the Security Council to refer the full situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, ensure full respect for the provisional measures imposed by the International Court of Justice to protect Rohingya lives, pressure States to urgently stop the flow of arms, jet fuel and dual-use goods to junta forces, ensure that States respect non-refoulement and create safe and dignified pathways for international refugee protection, implement Security Council resolution 2669, which demands an immediate end to all forms of violence, urges the release of arbitrarily detained prisoners, and calls for constructive dialogue, reconciliation, and respect for human rights, lift all restrictions on the provision of humanitarian relief to civilians in need, and block junta planned sham elections.

Myanmar also fully supports the IIMM's dedicated efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. We are heartened by the IIMM's confirmation that it is gathering evidence of the chain of command of junta air forces and that it is responding to specific requests for information from authorities in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions, in addition to the ICC, ICJ and Argentina, the NUG statement said.

In closing, Myanmar remains deeply grateful to OHCHR and the IIMM for their continued efforts to expose junta atrocities, to counter impunity, and to push the international community to act in the interests of Myanmar's people.

Response of the International Community

UNICEF Expresses Deep Concern Over Attack on Boarding School in Rakhine State

UNICEF issued a statement on 12 September expressing deep concern over reports that an overnight attack on a boarding school in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, killed and injured children as they were sleeping. UNICEF is extremely concerned by reports of the overnight attack on a boarding school in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar.

The attack adds to a pattern of increasingly devastating violence in Rakhine State, with children and families paying the ultimate price. Relentless attacks are sowing terror, uprooting families, and deepening their suffering. Children are losing their lives in the very spaces meant to protect them, their homes, schools, and neighbourhoods. On top of the escalating violence and displacement, families across Rakhine are also facing acute hardship, dwindling food supplies and the collapse of vital lifelines such as education and healthcare.

Violence against children must stop. Schools, dormitories, homes, and the essential services that children rely on must remain safe at all times. Parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians, including children, safeguard civilian infrastructure, and allow lifesaving humanitarian assistance to reach those in urgent need, UNICEF stated.

The targeting of educational facilities and children constitutes grave violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes under the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.

United Kingdom Pledges Support for Myanmar Accountability at UN Human Rights Council

On 9 September, the United Kingdom delivered a statement at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council during the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Myanmar.

The latest reports reveal deeply troubling evidence of human rights atrocities committed by junta forces in Myanmar. Civilians are bearing the brunt: detained without due process, killed in indiscriminate airstrikes, and displaced as their homes, schools, and hospitals are destroyed, the UK statement said.

The junta’s forces intensified use of airstrikes following the March earthquake inflicted further devastation on civilians, compounding the crisis.

The Mechanism has uncovered extensive evidence of systematic torture and abuse in detention facilities operated by junta forces since the attempted coup. Detainees, including children, have been subjected to beatings, electric shocks, and sexual violence, including rape and sexualized torture.

These reports expose a pattern of deliberate cruelty, underscoring the urgent need for justice. The international community must do more to ensure perpetrators are held to account, the UK stated.

The UK remains committed to supporting future accountability in Myanmar. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar's documentation plays a vital role in laying the groundwork for this, and the UK has contributed £900,000 to the mechanism to help ensure that evidence is preserved, and justice can be pursued.

Escalating atrocities in Myanmar demand urgent international action

A new report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warns of a rapidly worsening crisis in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine State, and highlights disturbing new trends in abuses against civilians, according to the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P) on 11 September 2025.

Amid escalating hostilities between the military junta and the Arakan Army armed group in Rakhine State. The report documents widespread and systematic patterns of indiscriminate attacks against civilians and protected objects, the razing of villages, forced recruitment, denial of humanitarian assistance and mass forced displacement. Since November 2023, approximately 150,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, adding to the nearly one million Rohingya refugees already confined to overcrowded and under-resourced refugee camps. Across the country, OHCHR verified at least 6,764 civilian deaths from April 2024 to May 2025, including over 1,400 women and 800 children. Nearly half of these deaths resulted from direct junta aerial attacks, illustrating the military junta's increasing reliance on airpower to commit atrocities.

Alarmingly, the report identifies two emerging trends: the use of chemicals and armed paramotors by military. During the reporting period, OHCHR received 26 allegations involving the use of chemicals, including fertilisers, attached to explosive devices in attacks against civilians across six states and regions. Armed paramotors, near-silent aircraft typically used for reconnaissance, have now been repurposed to drop munitions from high altitudes with little to no targeting precision. Since December 2024, there have been 137 paramotor attacks. Torture in detention centres also remains pervasive, with detainees, including children and political prisoners, facing electric shocks, strangulation and sexual violence, often leading to death.

The documented abuses, including indiscriminate and targeted attacks on civilians, the use of chemical weapons, torture and sexual violence, are prohibited under international law and may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. Amid the deteriorating crisis, the upcoming UN High-Level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar on 30 September presents a critical opportunity for meaningful action. Member states must seize this moment to increase coordinated and targeted sanctions on military junta leaders, businesses, arms suppliers, financial institutions and aviation fuel networks that sustain the junta's military capabilities. International support for accountability mechanisms remains essential to ending the cycle of impunity that enables continued atrocities.

High Commissioner Türk on Myanmar: De-escalation, aid and accountability are the way out of this crisis

The human rights situation in Myanmar is plumbing new depths, with civilians throughout the country suffering the cruelest toll, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 8 September 2025. Since the coup, more than 7,000 civilians have been killed by the military junta and some 30,000 people have been arrested on political grounds. In August alone, a reported 277 civilians were killed across the country.

After resuming ground operations, the military junta is once again burning villages at alarming rates and abducting and forcibly recruiting civilians. In one documented incident in March, the junta attacked a market in Let Pan Ha village in Mandalay. According to witnesses, a jet fighter circled the area before dropping two 500-pound bombs on the crowded market, killing at least 27 civilians.

The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. Junta blockades have driven food prices up to record levels, rising by 30 per cent compared to last year, while household incomes have plummeted. Nearly a third of the country's population, some 15.2 million people, are facing acute food insecurity this year. Some 350,000 people have been displaced in Rakhine and Chin States since November 2023, and some 150,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh seeking safety.

Over the past 14 months, fighting in Rakhine has reached a fever pitch. Eight years after the military junta killed tens of thousands of Rohingya and triggered an exodus of 700,000 people to Bangladesh.  As the military junta has lost ground, it has increasingly used aerial attacks against civilians across Rakhine and committed grave violations of human rights including killing civilians, destroying property, arbitrarily arresting and torturing people, and forcibly recruiting them into its ranks. Some of the images and videos in northern Rakhine from the second half of 2024 are reminiscent of 2017.

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Date: 15 September 2025

Permanent Mission of Myanmar, New York