Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar(01-11-2025 to 15-11-2025)

Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar

(01-11-2025 to 15-11-2025)

Over (57) 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.

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. 116, 897 houses were burned down throughout Myanmar since the illegal coup until the end of 31 of May 2025, according to 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.

According to the data collected by AAPP, from 1 to 15 November 2025, (17) people in total; (9) women and (8) men, were killed by the junta’s airstrikes across the country, including (4) children under the age of 18. The identities of these victims have been verified. Among them, Rakhine state recorded the highest number of deaths with (11) people. During the stated period, the AAPP has also received information regarding the death of (29) civilians, as a result of junta’s airstrikes attacks, whose identities have yet to be confirmed.

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

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

Military Junta Airstrike on School Sheltering Displaced Civilians Kills Five in Singu Township

A military junta fighter jet bombed a school sheltering displaced civilians in Mar Lae Village, Singu Township, Mandalay Region, killing five people and injuring five others Mizzima reported on 13 November.

The airstrike took place at around 5 pm on 12 November, when a jet that took off from Tada-U airbase dropped bombs directly on the school, the group stated. The explosions killed five displaced civilians, both men and women, and destroyed three buildings, including the school itself, according to local residents. A local resident stated that the victims were individuals who had fled from Madaya Township, with both men and women among the dead. Residents reported that many civilians from Madaya Township have sought refuge in Singu Township as military junta forces continue their offensives and intense clashes with revolutionary groups persist in the area.

On 7 November, military junta aircraft also bombed Nyaung Kone Village and a school in Shwe Pyi village in Singu Township, killing four displaced civilians who had fled from Madaya Township. The repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools sheltering displaced persons, constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on civilian objects and the civilian population.

Military Junta Launches Large-Scale Offensive in Wetlet Township, Destroying 12 Villages and Displacing Thousands

Military junta troops have launched a large-scale offensive in Wetlet Township, Sagaing Region, looting property, torching homes and displacing thousands of residents, the Wetlet Township People's Strike Steering Committee reported. Up to 12 villages have been destroyed since the offensive began, the committee stated. Military junta forces have reportedly been raiding and setting fire to villages almost daily since 1 November. This follows the arrival of reinforcements from Sagaing Region-based Light Infantry Division 33 at Ywar Thar Gyi Village.

An official from the Wetlet Township People's Strike Steering Committee reported that military junta forces burned Hla Taw Village in the western part of Wetlet Township from the morning of 11 November until the morning of 12 November.

The official stated that at around 10 am on 11 November, troops began burning houses in two different locations, and on the morning of 12 November, they began burning once more. The official added that the complete extent of the damage could not yet be determined because the area had not been cleared. The military junta reportedly deployed three separate military columns in Wetlet Township, with the columns torching homes during raids on multiple villages.

According to residents, the 12 villages already destroyed include Hla Taw, Man Kyi Tong, Myin Taw, Htone Bo, Ywar Taw Kone, Ta Mar Kone, Khaw Taw Tada U, Sai Naing Lay, Muu Gyi, Shwe Kyin and Lein Pin. The official added that during raids on the villages, troops also destroyed civilian property, noting that only a portion of the number of burned houses had been confirmed so far.

Local organizations reported that the military junta offensive has forced tens of thousands of residents from more than 20 villages in the western part of Wetlet Township to flee their homes. The displaced people are reportedly in urgent need of food and medical supplies. The systematic destruction of civilian property and forced displacement of civilian populations constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Military Junta Airstrikes Injure at Least 20 Civilians in Depayin Township

At least 20 civilians were injured when the military junta air force carried out airstrikes on villages in the western part of Depayin Township, Sagaing Region, on 10 November, according to various local media outlets.  The attacks began at around 3:20 pm and were conducted by four jet fighters targeting Kyun Taw Lay, Sat Pyar Kyin and Bote villages.

A local monk from Depayin Township stated that a crowd had gathered at a ceremony to hoist a golden umbrella on a pagoda in the village when the jets attacked the gathering, and four fighter jets bombed and fired rockets continuously. The three villages are located close to one another. The airstrikes left seven people seriously wounded and 13 others with minor injuries, while several houses were damaged, according to residents. Earlier this year, on 12 May, a military junta airstrike on a school in Ohteindwin Village in the same township killed 21 students and two teachers.

The targeting of civilians gathered for a religious ceremony constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on the civilian population and civilian objects.

Human Rights Abuses   

Military Junta Files So-called Election Law Charges Against KNU Officials, Journalists and Civilians

The military junta election commission filed so-called election law charges against the Karen National Union's Thaton District chairman, several resistance members and journalists on 10 November, Myanmar Now reported.

After KNU Brigade 1 released a statement opposing the election on 5 November, military junta police in Mon State's Thaton Township charged 22 people, including KNU official Padoh Saw Soe Myint, under Section 23(b) of the new election laws.

The military junta's new election laws impose harsh penalties for obstructing or disrupting the electoral process, granting broad powers to criminalise criticism or resistance to the polls. Analysts have stated that the laws are being used to silence opposition and legitimize a vote widely seen as orchestrated to entrench military rule. The National Unity Government, ethnic armed groups including the KNU, and resistance forces have called on the public to boycott and resist the military junta so-called election. In response, the military junta has arrested more than 90 people in recent weeks, including activists, artists and other civilians ahead of its planned polls. This week, Yangon military junta police filed charges against the Assistance Association for Myanmar-based Independent Journalists, a network that supports independent journalists in Myanmar. The military junta accused the group of spreading misleading content about a Member of Parliament candidate and other offences.

Thirty-year-old Ya Mone Oo from Pale Village in Thongwa Township, Yangon, was charged under Section 23(a) for criticizing a military junta produced short film that critics have described as propaganda. Dr Khin Ma from Yangon was also charged under the so-called new election laws for distributing anti-election materials. Kyaw Myint, 65, from Mon State's Chaungzon Township, was also charged for tearing down a candidate signboard near his village office in recent days. On 24 September, the military junta filed cases against 13 KNU members, including Chair Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, and 17 members of the Chinland administrative team in Chin State for obstructing the election.

Military junta police forces in Ayeyarwady Region's Lemyethna Township filed cases against Arakan Army and People's Defence Force members under accusation of a drone strike hit a monastery where election officials were training. However, Arakan Army spokesperson Khaing Thukha stated that the junta’s allegation, telling local media agency One Nation News that no civilian or religious sites were targeted and calling the charges politically motivated.

In recent weeks, at least five individuals from the entertainment industry, including three film directors, were arrested by the military junta under its election laws. A 40-year-old man from Bago stated that the charges showed the military junta could not tolerate any criticism of the election. He added that he saw the charges as an effort to intimidate the public into voting and force them to participate.

The use of so-called election laws to arbitrarily detain and prosecute individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful opposition constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law.

Thousands Flee Mogok Amid Threats and Intrusive Searches by Military Junta Personnel

As thousands flee Mogok, Mandalay Region, ahead of an anticipated takeover by the military junta, many are reporting that military junta personnel have subjected them to threats and intrusive searches on the road.

As many as 60 per cent of Mogok's remaining inhabitants have fled the town. Most of the displaced civilians plan to relocate to Mandalay ahead of the TNLA's anticipated departure from the town by 25 November.

Although high travel costs and other difficulties initially deterred many of Mogok's residents from leaving the town, most nonetheless felt forced to abandon their homes within two weeks of the TNLA announcing the agreement.

The military junta has deployed troops south and west of the city and on the roads to the city of Mandalay and Sagaing Region, two of the few routes still open to fleeing civilians after clashes near Mandalay Region's Madaya Township made the road to Thabeikkyin inaccessible. Some have also fled in the direction of Lashio and Muse in northern Shan State.

Displaced Mogok residents have reported threats, abuse and invasive searches at road checkpoints manned by military junta personnel.

A 45-year-old bus driver transporting displaced people to Mandalay stated that the inspections were extremely intrusive, with personnel going through every bag and checking ID cards, especially seeming to target young people. The driver added that everyone had to get off the bus and explain in detail where they were coming from and going, and that this happened at every military junta checkpoint from Kyaukme to Pyin Oo Lwin. He noted that the Kyaukme checkpoint was the worst, with inspections at the town entrance being extremely harsh.

The military junta has imposed strict security measures on the route running through Kyaukme, Nawnghkio and Pyin Oo Lwin since recapturing the former two towns from anti-junta forces in a counteroffensive earlier this year. A source connected to anti-junta forces in the area confirmed that inhabitants of Mogok were fleeing the town on a massive scale. The source stated that they had heard the inspections were very harsh and that men aged 18 to 35 were being forcibly conscripted.

Foreign Direct Investment in Myanmar Plummets Under Military Junta Rule

Foreign direct investment in Myanmar has sharply declined since the military junta seized power nearly five years ago, records and data from the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration show. Foreign direct investment exceeded US $4.87 billion in 2019-2020, the last full fiscal year under the elected government of the National League for Democracy party, but declined to US $3.79 billion in the 2020-21 fiscal year following the coup, according to the records.

Foreign direct investment levels continued to decline over the ensuing fiscal years, falling to US $690 million in 2024-25. In the six months that have elapsed so far in the present 2025-26 fiscal year, foreign direct investment is less than half that amount, totalling US $248 million.

An unidentified economic analyst saying prospects remained bleak due to domestic instability and changing international economic conditions. The analyst added that the military junta might offer incentives for Chinese investors or other foreign entities to invest in rare earth and other natural resource sectors, imitating the policies of former dictator Than Shwe. Another analyst predicted that investors would continue to avoid Myanmar amid international sanctions and numerous other risk factors.

The analyst stated that bringing risk to normal levels would take several years and would not happen immediately. He added that no matter how the sham elections went, there would be political risk.

While disorder due to internal conflict makes accurate economic measurements and estimations difficult, the World Bank predicted in June that Myanmar's GDP could contract by as much as 2.5 per cent over the 2025-2026 fiscal year, especially following the devastating March 2025 earthquake.

The dramatic decline in foreign investment reflects the international community's response to the military junta's illegal seizure of power and its systematic violations of human rights and democratic principles.

The resistance of the people of Myanmar

Sagaing Region's Civilian-Led Government Appoints New Chief Minister

Sagaing Region's civilian-led interim government, the Sagaing Federal Unit Hluttaw, appointed a new chief minister in first half of November, formalizing a regional government in an area where resistance forces hold significant territorial control.

Soe Oo, a former National League for Democracy politician who served as the region's planning and finance minister under the NLD civilian government, was confirmed as Sagaing Region Chief Minister at the sixth regular session of the Sagaing Federal Unit Hluttaw. He won his seat in Sagaing Township's Constituency 1 in 2015 and was re-elected in the 2020 polls before the coup.

The Sagaing Federal Unit is a legislative body established by the resistance-aligned civilian administration tasked with drafting an interim constitution and forming an interim regional government. Its significance lies in signalling a parallel governance structure to the military junta, asserting civilian-led federalism and legitimizing local resistance authority.

The government will include a chief minister, deputy, cabinet ministers, self-administered area chairs and an attorney general. The formation is similar to the Karenni State Interim Executive Council and the parallel administration established by the Chin National Front/Chin National Army and the Chinland Council in Chin State, according to Myanmar Now research.  

In June, the Sagaing Federal Unit enacted its Interim Constitution. An Interim Government Screening and Selection Commission was formed on 1 October to choose members of the new regional government, drawing representatives from lawmakers elected in 2020, political parties, ethnic nationality groups, civil servants and People's Administration Organizations. The Sagaing Federal Unit also appointed Myint Htwe as Speaker and Phyu Phyu Win as deputy Speaker.

Resistance forces now hold several towns, including Khampat, Shwe Pyi Aye, Maw Luu, Myothit, Pinlebu, Indaw and Banmauk, and run administrative systems across much of the countryside. Myint Htwe stated that having a functioning government under a federal system brought federalism closer to reality and meant they could act faster and more effectively to win the war.

Karen National Union Recaptures Myanmar-Thai Border Town of Mawdaung After 35 Years

The Karen National Union's armed wing and allies recaptured the Myanmar-Thai border town of Mawdaung in Tanintharyi Region on Friday after a hiatus of 35 years, according to the Irrawady’s report.

The hill town is located at the Singkhon Pass border where Thailand's Prachuap Khiri Khan Province is at its thinnest. It served as the headquarters of the KNU's Myeik District until the military junta occupied it in 1990. The Karen National Liberation Army and allied resistance groups launched an offensive to seize the town four days ago and sent the last of military junta soldiers and administration staff fleeing to the Thai side on 14 November.

The KNLA now controlls the whole town. The KNU's Myeik District secretary, Saw Ehna Doh, stated that Mawdaung was important for border trade and also held strategic significance.

He reported that the KNLA had seized two military outposts and one public administration office, while an estimated 60 military junta soldiers fled to Thailand. Some 1,000 residents were displaced to nearby villages, according to volunteers helping them. By capturing Mawdaung, the KNU now controls the road from the Thai border to Theinkun village 54 kilometres away in the lowlands. A defector stated that the military junta had been unable to pass the area for almost two years as the KNLA had also blocked the only main road from Tanintharyi town to Theinkun.

At Least 71 Military Junta Soldiers Surrender or Captured During Clashes with Arakan Army

At least 71 military junta soldiers have surrendered or been captured during ongoing clashes with the Arakan Army, the ethnic armed group announced on 11 November.

Fighting has been intensifying across several fronts, including the Laylar Mountain area in Padaung Township, Bago Region, around the Defence Equipment Manufacturing Factory 16, Natyaykan strategic hill along the Ann-Padan highway on the Magway-Rakhine border, and areas in Thabaung and Lemyethna townships in Ayeyarwady Region.

The Arakan Army stated that many newly recruited military junta soldiers were unwilling to fight and fled the battlefield daily, with some surrendering and others being captured. Between 8 and 10 November, 31 military personnel either surrendered or were captured. In addition, more than 40 military junta soldiers were either captured or defected between 3 October and 7 November during fighting in Thabaung and Lemyethna townships.

Nearly all of those who surrendered were reportedly forcibly conscripted by the military junta in 2025, including minors and high school students. The Arakan Army stated that surrendered soldiers were being held in accordance with the Prisoner of War Law and reiterated that newly conscripted troops could safely surrender on any frontline by raising a white flag.

Activities of the National Unity Government

National Unity Government Welcomes International Action Against Transnational Crimes and Scam Centres

The National Unity Government of Myanmar has welcomed the recent increased international attention and actions taken against harmful transnational criminal activity perpetrated from inside Myanmar.

In a statement issued on 15 November 2025, the National Unity Government noted that criminal scam activities had grown to a massive and dangerous scale, with scam syndicates operating primarily out of Southeast Asia defrauding US $65 billion per year from innocent people around the world. Sources indicated that at least 120,000 people across Myanmar may be held in situations where they are forced to carry out online scams.

The National Unity Government stated that the beneficiaries of the scam centres included the military junta, the Border Guard Forces under its military chain of command, its allied militia groups and transnational criminal syndicates. The statement noted that the funds stolen fuelled other criminal activities and the ongoing atrocities committed against the people of Myanmar.

The National Unity Government expressed appreciation for recent actions taken by neighbouring countries, regional partners and other international actors. This included steps by Thailand and China to detain and prosecute leaders of scam syndicates from Myanmar and abroad. The statement also noted with thanks the recently announced activities of the United States Scam Center Strike Force and Department of the Treasury to sanction criminal organizations and seize assets.

The National Unity Government called for increased international efforts to crack down on these criminal organisations, targeting those at the highest levels, to put an end to their criminal activities, seize and return funds to victims, and repatriate trafficked persons with attention to their rights. The statement reaffirmed the National Unity Government's commitment to stamp out transnational crime in Myanmar and to work in coordination with national and international stakeholders, including Ethnic Revolutionary Organisation and interim governance institution partners, international law enforcement and others.

The National Unity Government pledged to work with the international community to ensure that justice prevailed in returning stolen funds and cutting off illicit financial flows that the military junta had received in exchange for its role in the criminal activity.

Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations Makes Series of Statements at 80th UN General Assembly

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, delivered a series of statements at various main committees’ meetings during the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly from 1 to 15 November 2025.

Statement on Report of the International Court of Justice at the General Assembly Plenary

Addressing the General Assembly plenary on the ICJ report on 31 October 2025, Myanmar's Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun congratulated Judge Yuji Iwasawa on his election as ICJ President and commended the Court's advisory opinion on climate change obligations. He emphasized that the National Unity Government has accepted ICJ jurisdiction and withdrawn all preliminary objections in The Gambia v. Myanmar genocide case, demonstrating commitment to international accountability. The Permanent Representative expressed grave concern that the Court continues to permit representation by the military junta responsible for ongoing atrocity crimes, noting this undermines the principle that rights cannot arise from illegal acts (ex injuria jus non oritur). He reported that almost 22 million people need humanitarian assistance due to military junta atrocities confirmed by the IIMM as war crimes and crimes against humanity, calling on member states to reject the junta's planned sham election and support Myanmar's struggle for federal democracy.

Statement at Interactive Dialogue with President of the Human Rights Council

During the Interactive Dialogue with HRC President Ambassador Jürg Lauber at the Third Committee on 31 October 2025, Myanmar's Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun welcomed the Council's consensus adoption of resolutions on the human rights situation in Myanmar and on Rohingya Muslims. He stated that since the illegal coup in February 2021, the situation has consistently deteriorated, with the military junta committing atrocities with a "Zero-Sum Game" mentality. The Ambassador emphasized the need for coherence and coordination between the UN General Assembly, Security Council, and Human Rights Council, warning that delays in effective action intensify civilian suffering. He called on the international community to exert greater pressure to ensure full implementation of adopted resolutions.

Statement on Report of the Human Rights Council at the GA Plenary Meeting

Speaking at the General Assembly plenary on the Human Rights Council report on 31 October 2025, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stated that the illegal military coup of February 2021 and military dictatorship are the root causes of the conflict, the crisis in Myanmar. He reported that 3.6 million people are displaced and almost 22 million need humanitarian assistance, with children, women and girls overwhelmingly bearing the brunt of the crisis. The Ambassador highlighted that the collapse of rule of law has transformed Myanmar into a global epicentre for transnational organized crime, with massive online scam compounds and human trafficking. He called for cutting off arms, weapons, jet fuel and financial support to the military junta, urging the international community to categorically reject the junta's planned sham election.

Statement on Questions Relating to Information at the Fourth Committee

Addressing the Fourth Committee on questions relating to information on 4 November 2025, Myanmar's Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun reported that over 200 journalists have been arrested since the illegal coup, with 51 remaining unjustly detained and some killed, making Myanmar among the worst countries for jailing journalists. He stated that the military junta has systematically weaponized information and communication technologies to suppress dissent, turning platforms such as Facebook and Telegram into tools of surveillance and intimidation. The Ambassador highlighted that certain foreign entities have been complicit in strengthening the junta's surveillance infrastructure. He emphasized that the collapse of freedom of expression and severe restriction of information demonstrate the junta's planned elections will be neither free nor fair.

Statement on Report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

During the Third Committee interactive discussion with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on 6 November 2025, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun reported that internally displaced persons have soared to over 3.5 million, with an additional 1.57 million Myanmar refugees and asylum-seekers across the region and beyond. He stated that women and girls, comprising about 50 percent of the refugee population, face extreme risk of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. The Ambassador reported that children make up over 40 percent of the refugee population, with an estimated 6 million children in Myanmar now in need of humanitarian assistance. He warned that the junta's planned sham election will create more violence and instability and produce more refugees and IDPs.

            Statement on Report of the International Criminal Court at the GA Plenary Meeting  

Addressing the General Assembly plenary on the ICC report on 11 November 2025, Myanmar's Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun reported that over four years since the illegal coup, the military has conducted 3,744 indiscriminate aerial attacks, resulting in 4,135 deaths and destruction of more than 100,000 private properties including over one thousand schools, clinics and religious buildings. He noted that Myanmar submitted an Article 12(3) Declaration to the ICC on 17 July 2021 acknowledging the Court's jurisdiction, and expressed frustration that almost one year after the ICC Prosecutor's application for an arrest warrant against junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, there has been no noticeable progress. Quoting Prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz that "there can be no peace without justice, no justice without law, and no law without a court that can decide what is just and lawful," the Ambassador demanded immediate issuance of the arrest warrant.

Statement on Comprehensive Review of Special Political Missions

Addressing the Fourth Committee on Special Political Missions on 12 November 2025, Myanmar's Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun emphasized three key parameters for the Special Envoy mandate: coherence with the broader UN system including the Security Council, General Assembly, Human Rights Council and ICJ; transparency in diplomatic engagement while ensuring inclusive stakeholder participation; and accountability to the affected people of Myanmar. He recalled General Assembly resolution 75/287 calling on member states to prevent arms flows, and HRC resolution 55/20 calling for states to refrain from exporting jet fuel and surveillance technologies to the military. The Ambassador noted that the UN Secretary-General stated in 2022 that the international community has failed the people of Myanmar, warning that frustrations with the UN continue to grow as violence enlarges, atrocities deepen, and civilian suffering worsens. He expressed gratitude to the Special Envoy for her clear stance that the junta's planned elections will risk deepening violence and instability, urging the international community to categorically reject this deceitful process.

In all his statements, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun appealed to the international community to reject the military junta's planned sham election and support the people of Myanmar in their determination to end the military dictatorship and build a federal democratic union.

Response of the International Community

French President Macron Calls for Immediate Release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Amid Health Concerns

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the military junta to immediately release detained national leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, expressing deep concern over reports of her deteriorating health in prison.

In a letter sent to the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, President Macron stated that he was very concerned by information from her son, Kim Aris, about her worsening condition and lack of medical care in unfair detention.

He reiterated France's call for the immediate and unconditional release of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, former President U Win Myint and all others jailed for political reasons since the February 2021 coup.

The French President stated that the coup had flouted Myanmar's democratic aspirations and plunged the country into a long-term crisis with dramatic consequences for its populations and neighbouring states. He pledged France's support for paths to peace charted by legitimate political leaders. Aris welcomed President Macron's intervention, stating that it was hugely appreciated and should spur broader international action. He revealed in September that his mother was suffering from heart problems requiring urgent treatment, claims the military junta dismissed as fabrications.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who led Myanmar's elected government until the 2021 military takeover, is serving 27 years in detention on charges she denies. The continued arbitrary detention of political leaders and denial of adequate medical care constitute serious violations of international human rights law.

New Zealand Parliament Unanimously Rejects Military Junta's Planned Elections as Sham

New Zealand's Parliament endorsed a statement on 5 November rejecting the military junta's 2025-26 elections, set to begin on 28 December and continue into January 2026, stating that they could not be considered free, fair or credible.

Labour Party Member of Parliament Phil Twyford wrote on his social media on 5 November that a resolution for Parliament rejecting the military junta's planned sham elections had been passed unanimously. During his speech to New Zealand's Parliament, Twyford stated that there would be no genuine opposition parties on the ballot paper and that repressive laws had been passed criminalizing public criticism of the elections.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy government was ousted in a military coup on 1 February 2021. Since then, the State Counsellor and President U Win Myint have been held incommunicado by the military junta. The National League for Democracy was dissolved by the military junta's Union Election Commission in March 2023 for not re-registering after the coup. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has documented that at least 30,000 people have been arrested in connection with anti-coup activities since 2021, with around 22,600 still imprisoned, including more than 11,300 who have been sentenced.

The New Zealand Parliament resolution followed a nine-day fact-finding mission to the Thailand-Myanmar border in September by three Members of Parliament from different political parties to assess the humanitarian and political crisis caused by the 2021 coup. During the mission, Members of Parliament Phil Twyford and Rachel Boyack from the Labour Party and Teanau Tuiono from the Green Party met more than 30 Myanmar civil society groups, humanitarian organizations, independent media and representatives from the National Unity Government.

Twyford told New Zealand's Parliament that it must stand with the people of Myanmar rather than allow the military junta to use elections to seek legitimacy from the international community. He stated that the elections were not real elections but were designed only to legitimize a dictatorship. He called on the international community to recognize the courage of the Myanmar people and stand with them as they struggled for democracy.

Twyford called on the military junta to release all political prisoners, end attacks against civilians, allow inclusive political dialogue with all stakeholders and ease the humanitarian crisis by allowing aid deliveries and services to reach those in need. He called for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2669, which calls for an end to violence and respect for human rights, as well as ASEAN's Five Point Consensus, a peace plan agreed to by military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021 but never implemented upon his return to Myanmar. Twyford warned that the international community must not look away from Myanmar's worsening political crisis, concluding that if you believed in democracy and human rights, the people of Myanmar needed your support now.

Since the 2021 coup, the New Zealand government has suspended high-level political and defence engagement with the military junta, imposed travel bans on military junta representatives and supported international calls for a return to democracy and civilian rule.

ASEAN Parliamentarians Call for Decisive Action to Restore Democracy in Myanmar

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights issued a statement on 3 November following the 47th ASEAN Summit, with regional lawmakers and civil society leaders calling for decisive action from ASEAN to restore democracy in Myanmar at the Pathways to Democracy Conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Days after ASEAN leaders concluded the 47th annual Summit, Southeast Asian lawmakers gathered in Kuala Lumpur with one message: restoration of democracy in Myanmar cannot wait. The conference brought together legislators, civil society leaders and allies determined to move beyond performative diplomacy and push the ASEAN bloc towards concrete, principled action under the Philippines' 2026 Chairmanship. The conference came at a pivotal moment, directly following the 47th ASEAN Summit where the Myanmar crisis once again dominated discussions but failed in realizing tangible and urgent progress.

APHR member lawmakers called for ASEAN to adopt a bolder, people-centred approach to democracy and humanitarian response in Myanmar, grounded in regional solidarity and moral responsibility. APHR Chairperson and Member of the House of Representatives of Indonesia, Mercy Chriesty Barends, delivered a message of shared purpose, stating that they saw, heard and stood by the people of Myanmar in their struggle for democracy and would never abandon them.

APHR Board Member and Member of the Malaysian Parliament, Wong Chen, emphasised that democracy extended beyond politics or diplomacy, stating that while governments and diplomats negotiated, parliamentarians, civil society actors and citizens had a different but equally vital role to play.

APHR Member and Member of the Philippine House of Representatives, Sarah Jane Elago, called for a people-centred stance, stating that as ASEAN transitioned leadership, the voices of Myanmar's people including the Rohingya must not fade into silence.

APHR Member and Member of the Thai Parliament, Kannavee Suebsang, added that parliamentarians must not be constrained by diplomatic silence, stating that parliamentarians had a duty to speak out clearly and collectively against the situation in Myanmar. APHR stressed that support for Myanmar's democracy was not merely a diplomatic ceremony but a moral imperative. The organization stated that the sham elections must not be recognized in any shape or form, and that when talking about democracy, no one must be left behind, including the Rohingya people.

Human Rights Watch Calls on Foreign Governments to Reject Military Junta's Sham Elections

Foreign governments should reject the military junta's plans to hold elections from late December 2025 through January 2026 because they will not be free, fair or inclusive, Human Rights Watch stated on 14 November. Human Rights Watch noted that since the February 2021 military coup, the military junta had systematically dismantled the rule of law and the country's nascent democratic systems, and ahead of the polls had ramped up repression and violence.

The military junta announced that the first two phases of the multistage elections would take place on 28 December and 11 January. Since the coup, the military junta has banned dozens of political parties and jailed an estimated 30,000 political prisoners, including nearly 100 people detained under a draconian election law passed in July.

Human Rights Watch Asia director Elaine Pearson stated that the military junta's sham elections were a desperate bid for international legitimacy after nearly five years of brutal military repression. She added that governments lending any credibility to these polls would signal a complete lack of support for rights-respecting civilian democratic rule in Myanmar.

On 29 July, the military junta illegally enacted the so-called Law on the Prevention of Obstruction, Disruption, and Sabotage of Multiparty Democratic General Election, which criminalizes criticism of the election by banning all speech, organizing or protest that disrupts any part of the electoral process. Violators can face up to 20 years in prison and the death penalty.

Military junta forces have arrested 94 people under the so-called new law since August, including at least four children, for social media activity, distributing stickers and leaflets, delivering speeches and other alleged acts of election interference.

Human Rights Watch stated that the military junta lacked sufficient territorial control to hold credible elections, with much of the country contested or held by the opposition. The nationwide census attempted in October 2024 to compile voter lists was held in only 145 of the country's 330 townships. The Union Election Commission declared in September that voting would not take place in 56 townships deemed not conducive, while the two phases announced thus far cover only 202 townships.

Military junta efforts to retake territory from the armed resistance ahead of the elections have involved repeated airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure that amount to war crimes, Human Rights Watch stated.

Malaysia, Japan and other Asian governments that had made clear these elections were harmful to Myanmar's people should urge their neighbours to do the same. She added that counterbalancing any support from China, Russia and other countries backing the polls would require a clear, emphatic message that these illegitimate elections would only entrench Myanmar's descent into violence, repression and autocratic rule.

Singapore Questions Legitimacy of Military Junta's Planned Elections Without Inclusive Dialogue

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stated on 4 November that the military junta's 2025-26 elections, set to begin on 28 December and continue on 11 January and at a later undecided date, could not be considered legitimate unless there was constructive dialogue.

Balakrishnan wrote on 4 November in response to a question raised by a Singapore Member of Parliament on political developments in Myanmar that peace, security and inclusive participation must be the basis of the upcoming elections so that the outcome was credible and reflected the will of the Myanmar people. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy government was ousted in a military coup on 1 February 2021. Since then, the State Counsellor and President U Win Myint have been held incommunicado by the military junta.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has documented that at least 30,000 people have been arrested in connection with anti-coup activities since 2021, with around 22,600 still imprisoned, including more than 11,300 who have been sentenced. Balakrishnan stated that Myanmar's situation continued to be dire almost five years since the coup, describing the country as effectively fragmented with conflict between military junta and resistance forces occurring nationwide. He added that the solution for Myanmar's crisis required political dialogue involving all key stakeholders.

Singapore wants Myanmar to abide by the ASEAN Five Point Consensus, a peace plan agreed to by military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021 but not implemented upon his return to Myanmar. The plan calls for an end to violence, the release of all political prisoners including State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, and immediate humanitarian access to communities impacted by the conflict. Balakrishnan stated that ultimately, the solution must be Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led.

Justice For Myanmar and Japanese Organizations Condemn JCB for Silence on Myanmar Bank Partnership

Justice For Myanmar, Mekong Watch and five Japanese organizations have condemned Japanese payment company JCB Co. Ltd for its failure to address concerns regarding its relationship with UAB Bank in Myanmar. The group alleges the bank is owned by a crony of the military junta, linking it to the military junta's crimes and exposing JCB to sanctions.

In a press release issued on 11 November, the organizations stated that a letter of inquiry was sent jointly by Myanmar and Japanese organizations on 17 July 2025, raising urgent human rights concerns over JCB's continued business relationship with UAB, which acts as a local acquirer for JCB cards in Myanmar. To date, JCB has remained silent.

In June 2024, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar named UAB, formerly known as United Amara Bank, as one of the financial institutions used to make payments to companies supplying aviation fuel to the military junta. The Special Rapporteur noted that the military junta's ability to terrorize civilian populations through indiscriminate airstrikes was directly dependent on its ability to access the aviation fuel required to fly its jets and helicopters. The Special Rapporteur specifically urged financial institutions to freeze existing relationships with UAB.

The press release noted that as the military junta prepared a sham election for December 2025, it had intensified its indiscriminate airstrikes that had massacred civilians, including children, and destroyed villages, schools and hospitals. UAB is deeply connected to the IGE Group of Companies. The group's core entity, International Group of Entrepreneurs Co. Ltd., is a major crony conglomerate sanctioned by the European Union in 2022 for its close relationship with top leaders of the military junta and its financial support.

IGE's founder and chair, Ne Aung, who is sanctioned by both the European Union and Canada, resigned from UAB's board of directors just four days after European Union sanctions on IGE. According to Myanmar's company registry, a few weeks after European Union sanctions, he and his wife transferred their shares in UAB to two shell companies, entities widely suspected of being proxy shareholders. The organizations stated that these connections strongly suggested that Ne Aung and IGE continued to exercise control over UAB through proxies, meaning that UAB remained part of the crony IGE economic network and subject to European Union and Canadian sanctions.

Yuka Kiguchi, Executive Director of Mekong Watch, stated that Japanese companies must not look the other way while their business partners were potentially supporting airstrikes and human rights violations causing mass suffering in Myanmar. She added that JCB, which ignored questions about its partnership with UAB, publicly claimed that its credit card was Japan's only internationally recognized credit card brand, but in its business practices it was failing to meet even the most basic international standards of corporate transparency and human rights responsibility.

Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung stated that JCB's ongoing partnership with a sanctioned, crony-owned bank linked to the military junta's aviation fuel supply chain was unacceptable. She added that this business had continued as the military junta escalated airstrikes across the country ahead of its sham elections, and that JCB could not continue to stay silent and continue business as usual.

United States Sanctions Armed Group and Leaders for Cyber Scam Operations Targeting Americans

The United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced sanctions on 12 November against the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), an armed group allied with the military junta, for its involvement in cyber scam operations that target Americans. The sanctions also extend to four of the group's senior leaders: Sai Kyaw Hla, Saw Steel, Saw Sein Win and Saw San Aung.

Two companies, Trans Asia International Holding Group Thailand Company Limited and Troth Star Company Limited, along with Thai national Chamu Sawang, were also designated for their connections to Chinese organized crime and for collaborating with the DKBA to establish scam centres.

These criminal networks are responsible for stealing billions of dollars from Americans and other nationals through fraudulent investment schemes and are involved in human trafficking, with proceeds funding the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army's activities and contributing to the civil war in Myanmar.

In conjunction with these sanctions, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, along with the Department of Justice, FBI and Secret Service, has established a Scam Center Strike Force. This new initiative will focus on investigating, disrupting and prosecuting the most egregious scam centres and their leaders operating in Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR. The sanctions block all property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities that are within the United States or controlled by United States persons.

Oil Companies in British Overseas Territories Earned Hundreds of Millions for Military Junta in Suspected Sanctions Violations

Oil companies based in British Overseas Territories have earned hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues for the military junta since the 2021 attempted coup, in suspected violation of United Kingdom sanctions, according to Justice For Myanmar in a press statement issued on 3 November.

These include two joint ventures between the military junta-controlled Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise and Thai energy giant PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited that are still operating in British Overseas Territories, 18 months after Justice For Myanmar alerted authorities.

Justice for Myanmar stated that Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise was the single biggest source of foreign revenue for the military junta, funding the aviation fuel and weapons it needed to wage an ongoing campaign of war crimes against the people. Justice For Myanmar made legal submissions to the Cayman Islands and Bermuda governments in April 2024, detailing suspected breaches of United Kingdom Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021.

The organization reported that Andaman Transportation Limited, a Cayman Islands company 20 per cent owned by Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, operates a pipeline transporting gas from the Zawtika project to Thailand. The Bermuda-based Moattama Gas Transportation Company Limited, 37 per cent owned by Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, operates a pipeline from the Yadana project to Thailand.

An analysis by Justice For Myanmar and Finance Uncovered indicated these two companies generated US $1.078 billion in pipeline revenues between 2021 and 2024, with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise's share totalling US $239 million.

Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung stated that it was unacceptable that military junta-linked companies were operating in British Overseas Territories nearly five years after the illegal coup attempt. She added that these companies were bankrolling an illegal military junta that was slaughtering children and bombing schools and hospitals with total impunity. Maung called on Bermuda and Cayman Islands authorities to enforce United Kingdom sanctions, fully investigate these companies and stop the military junta from doing business in their territories.

UN Special Rapporteur Highlights Hidden Crisis Facing Persons with Disabilities in Myanmar

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar issued a new report on 13 November calling attention to the difficulties faced by persons with disabilities in Myanmar as a result of the military junta's ongoing acts of violence and repression.

Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews stated that military junta forces had executed, tortured and sexually assaulted persons with disabilities while their relentless repression and violence were trapping many in a daily fight for survival.

Andrews reported that dozens of persons with disabilities had been burned alive in their own homes as military junta forces carried out campaigns of mass arson throughout the country. He added that survivors of the military junta's attacks were often displaced and severed from their support networks, struggling to survive in hostile, inaccessible environments, with many facing high barriers in accessing life-saving humanitarian aid.

The report, titled The Hidden Crisis: Disability Rights in Post-Coup Myanmar, reveals how the 2021 military coup has devastated the lives of persons with disabilities in Myanmar, compounding historical stigma and discrimination. The report describes the immense challenges facing persons with disabilities, including deep-rooted religious and cultural beliefs that perpetuate their isolation and disenfranchisement.

Andrews stated that the primary drivers of exclusion for persons with disabilities were not their impairments but the social, cultural, political and physical barriers pervasive throughout Myanmar society. He noted that the widespread belief that impairments resulted from misdeeds in a past life not only fuelled discrimination but was also internalized by persons with disabilities, leading many to withdraw from community life out of shame and an erosion of personal dignity.

The report noted that early progress towards protecting the rights of persons with disabilities was swiftly reversed following the coup. Reform efforts came to a halt as the military junta cracked down on civil society, driving many disability rights advocates into exile. Despite this, a remarkable network of organizations, many led by persons with disabilities, continue to work against all odds to provide essential services and defend rights.

Andrews stated that as a distracted world fixed its attention on other crises and conflicts, the situation of persons with disabilities in Myanmar had truly become a hidden crisis within a forgotten humanitarian catastrophe. He emphasized that it was critical that the world pay attention. The Special Rapporteur urged the international community to deny the military junta the means to continue its violence and partner with persons with disabilities to save lives and break the barriers of repression and discrimination.

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Date: 15 November 2025

Permanent Mission of Myanmar, New York