Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar (16-02-2026 to 28-02-2026)

Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar

(16-02-2026 to 28-02-2026)

(61) 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.

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 2025. 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 January to 28 February 2026, the junta killed (94) men in total across the country, including (12) boys under the age of 18. The youngest recorded death was a two-month-old boy. These are the numbers that have been verified. Among them, Sagaing Region records the highest number of fatalities, with (25) men killed, followed by (16) in Rakhine State. During the stated period, the AAPP has also received information regarding the death of (76) men, as a result of junta 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

Escalating junta atrocities in February 2026 are documented

Data released by the Documentation and Research Department of the Ministry of Human Rights of the National Unity Government revealed a devastating scale of military junta atrocities across Myanmar in February 2026.

According to the data on aerial attacks, updated on 10 March 2026, the military junta carried out 625 aerial attacks across 238 cases in February 2026, killing 142 people. Of those killed, 78 were adults above the age of 18, 20 were children under 18 and 44 were of unknown age. A total of 242 people were injured, with 116 being of unknown age, 95 above 18 and 31 under 18. The attacks comprised 323 airstrikes, 107 paramotor attacks, 102 gyrocopter assaults and 93 drone strikes. The aerial bombardments destroyed 14 religious buildings, 10 schools and two medical facilities. Sagaing Region recorded the highest number of aerial attacks at 199, followed by Mandalay Region with 95, Magway Region with 85, Rakhine State with 83 and Chin State with 45.

Data on massacres, also updated on 10 March 2026, documented nine massacre cases resulting in 72 deaths in February 2026. Of those killed, 40 were of unknown age, 23 were adults above 18 and nine were children under 18. The massacres were recorded in Sagaing Region with three cases, Rakhine State with two, Magway Region with two, Karenni State with one and Tanintharyi Region with one.

Data on human rights violations, updated on 28 February 2026, recorded a total of 528 violations across the country in February 2026. The most documented violation was property destruction with 132 cases, followed by other violations at 128, extrajudicial killings at 94, forced labour at 64, forced displacement at 30, arbitrary arrest at 23, freedom of movement violations at 17, torture at 11, destruction of religious buildings at 10, arbitrary detention at seven, attacks on medical centres at three, enforced disappearance at three, freedom of religion and belief violations at three, child soldier recruitment at one, freedom of expression violation at one and sexual violence at one. Mandalay Region recorded the highest number of violations at 111, followed by Magway Region at 77, Sagaing Region at 69, Tanintharyi Region at 53 and Kachin State at 51.

Data on forced conscription, updated on 28 February 2026, documented 29 conscription cases involving 370 persons in February 2026. Mon State recorded the highest number of conscripted persons at 205, followed by Magway Region at 115, Tanintharyi Region at 38, Mandalay Region at seven, Yangon Region at four and Ayeyarwady Region at one.

Military junta escalates air and naval attacks in Rakhine State, killing at least 15 civilians including infants

Myanmar Now reported that the military junta has escalated air and naval attacks in Kyaukphyu Township in Rakhine State over the second week of February, killing at least 15 civilians including infants.

The victims also included women and elderly residents, and more than 30 others were wounded when junta aircraft and naval vessels shelled and bombed areas of Kyaukphyu, Ramree, Mrauk-U and Thandwe townships.

As clashes intensified between the Arakan Army (AA) and the junta on 19 February, a junta aircraft dropped three bombs on Thayet Cho Village in Ramree Township at about 10:30 am, killing two men and injuring two others, local residents said. One victim was identified as 31-year-old Tun Naing Win, while the names of the wounded were still being confirmed. A local Ramree resident told Myanmar Now that one or two jet fighters came and bombed the area, questioning why the junta bombs places where civilians live.

Another resident of Ramree said the attacks appeared to target civilians, alleging the junta was retaliating after sustaining heavy losses in clashes with the AA in nearby Kyaukphyu Township. Ramree Township, located south of Kyaukphyu Township which houses deep seaport and Special Economic Zone projects.

On 18 February, two women were killed when a junta aircraft bombed Mi Kyaung Yay Thauk Village in Kyaukphyu Township. Days earlier, naval shelling also turned deadly. Two people were killed and eight injured on 15 February when a junta vessel fired on Nga Oke and Wa Myaung Villages, and an 80-year-old woman was killed the previous day when five shells struck Kyauk Pyauk village.  A Ramree resident told Myanmar Now that people are dying and getting injured every day, adding that whenever they hear the sound of a plane, they always have to get into bomb shelters and hide.

Junta paramotor attack kills woman and two girls at pagoda festival in Mandalay Region

Local medias reported that a paramotor attack by junta forces killed a woman and two girls at a traditional pagoda festival in Ngazun Township, Mandalay Region, on 23 February.

The attack took place at around 10 am as residents of Talinkone Village were gathered to make offerings to Buddhist monks as part of the festival. A local man said that it was a traditional village religious festival and that junta forces bombed right as they were offering food to the monks. He said the bombs did not hit the gathering directly but landed nearby, killing young girls.

According to residents, three paramotors were used in the attack. The deceased were identified as a woman in her 20s and two girls aged eight and 16. They reportedly died of injuries to their heads and abdomens and were buried in the village cemetery later the same day.

Talinkone is located about three miles west of the town of Ngazun, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River. Most of its nearly 1,000 inhabitants make a living from farming and fishing. Most villages in the area are currently deserted due to recent attacks by junta forces. Thousands of residents from villages along the Ayeyarwady River, including Talinkone, Htanaungkone, Mayoekone and Yaesin, are fleeing the conflict.

Junta troops burn 34 houses in Yesagyo Township, Magway Region

Local residents reported that junta troops operating in the southern part of Yesagyo Township, Magway Region, set fire to Thamantapo Village on 15 February, destroying 34 houses.

A column of approximately 100 junta soldiers arriving from Yesagyo town entered the village on the morning of 15 February and set it ablaze. A local man from Yesagyo said the column advanced early in the morning, entering the village after firing heavy artillery, and started the fires shortly after arriving.

During the incident, 25 houses from Thamantapo (Middle) Village, which has about 600 households, and nine houses from Thamantapo (South) Village were destroyed. The column of approximately 100 soldiers from Yesagyo-based Battalion 258 has since reached the vicinity of Gyi Kan village, forcing residents from surrounding villages to flee.

Previously, on 12 and 13 February, the junta used jet fighters and motorised paragliders to bomb Mon Nyin and Chin Yar Kone villages, killing three civilians.

Human Rights Abuses   

Over 119,000 civilian homes burned across Myanmar since coup, with junta and affiliates responsible for vast majority, report reveals

According to a report released on 19 February by Data for Myanmar, a total of 119,411 civilian homes across Myanmar were burned down during fighting and conflict between May 2021 and August 2025 following the coup. The group stated that 115,568 of those homes were burned down in arson attacks carried out by the military junta and its affiliated groups during this period.

According to data broken down by state and region, Sagaing Region recorded the highest level of destruction, with more than 77,700 homes burned, representing over 65 per cent of the total number of civilian homes destroyed nationwide.

Between June and August 2025 alone, more than 2,500 civilian homes in 81 villages across eight states and regions were set on fire. During this three month period, large numbers of homes were destroyed in Kanbalu in Sagaing Region, Minhla in Bago Region, Chauk and Pakoku in Magway Region, and Myingyan and Nyaung-U in Mandalay Region.

Data for Myanmar stated that the military junta and its affiliated groups have been seen to have carried out operations in conflict areas, burning down towns and villages, destroying houses, looting valuables and setting fire to houses while stationed in those areas.

Concerning the situation in Rakhine State, the report said that more than 3,800 civilian homes were burned in Buthidaung Township in May 2024. However, it added that the specific group responsible for those incidents has not yet been identified.

Data for Myanmar called on all armed groups to immediately cease targeting civilians and setting fire to civilian homes. The organisation also urged the international community to exert pressure to bring an end to such actions as soon as possible. The report further warned that the figures presented may be lower than the actual situation on the ground, as incidents that could not be independently verified or lacked complete data were excluded due to various challenges.

Young man beaten to death in detention after forced conscription in Mandalay

Many local media outlets reported that a young man from Mahaaungmyay Township in Mandalay was beaten to death while in detention at a ward administration office after being forcibly conscripted.

A source who requested anonymity said 26-year-old Aung Min Khant and 17-year-old Phoe Thar, who had been living in a temporary hut in Sein Pan Ward, were grabbed for conscription on 26 January. Both were held at the Than Nauk Ward administration office, where they were beaten during detention. Phoe Thar later died from his injuries, the source said.

The source told that officers conducted an overnight guest registration check just after midnight and took him away. The following day, his mother was informed that he had already been buried and she did not get a chance to see his body. She later learned that he had been restrained in stocks and beaten to death.

Phoe Thar lived with his mother, a laundress, in a small bamboo shelter. Ward level sources said he refused to comply with the conscription order and asked to be released. He was then beaten and died from severe head and back injuries.

Another source close to the family told that his mother and other ward residents were barred from viewing the body, which the ward administration officers reportedly buried quietly. The Than Nauk Ward Administration Office gave the mother 100,000 kyat (US $25) as compensation. She had to hold her son's funeral quietly, making offerings with only his photograph.

Aung Min Khant, who was conscripted alongside Phoe Thar, was sent to a junta compound east of Mandalay Hill. Sources said he sustained wounds and bruises from being beaten, and his family has not yet been allowed to contact him. A friend of Aung Min Khant told Myanmar Now that he was already on the conscription list. He has one child, and junta forces took him at night, saying they had something to discuss with him at the ward office.

The military junta paused conscription in Mandalay in March last year for several months, but the programme has reportedly resumed. Since then, many young people have been summoned for service, and residents said some ward administrators have accepted bribes to let substitutes take their place. A man from Mandalay told Myanmar Now that young people in the ward who have no means to resist, as well as those out late at night, were captured and forced to serve as replacements.

Data compiled by the Voice of Mandalay, which monitors arrests and other developments in the city, showed that more than 20 young people were conscripted in January. An official with the group said the figure represents only documented cases and that the true number is likely higher, adding that conscriptions have surged in February.

Military junta using sophisticated digital surveillance system to track and arrest activists, SRD warns

The Spring Revolution Database (SRD) has issued an urgent public security warning, revealing that the military junta is utilising a sophisticated Person Scrutinisation and Monitoring System (PSMS) to track and arrest activists, Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) participants and resistance members.

According to the SRD's five-year anniversary report titled Records of War Crimes Committed by the Military Commission, the system integrates facial recognition and biometric data with a software application and is currently operating on version 1.2. The PSMS reportedly contains the private personal data of approximately 50,000 targeted individuals, allowing junta forces at checkpoints, airports and city gates to identify and detain travellers in real time. The SRD added that the technology is being used by junta forces, police and immigration staff at checkpoints, airports, seaports and city entry and exit gates to track down and arrest civilians and members of resistance groups.

The SRD documented several cases of arrests carried out using the PSMS. Ma Nan Cherry Tun, who has been charged under Section 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, was arrested on 25 May 2025 at the Htin Shu Myaing checkpoint in Namhsan Township. A family involved in the CDM was detained on 23 June at the Kywe Tat Sone checkpoint in Tharsi Township, Mandalay Region. In Shan State, a 29 year old woman, Ma Thet Htar Thuzar, was arrested on 20 December at the Nant Pan Tak checkpoint in Kalaw. In another case, a young man travelling from Yangon to Tachilek was reportedly apprehended through the system while en route.

According to the SRD report, the junta is preparing to initiate a new wave of arrests targeting CDM participants and activists through the use of this technology. The SRD urged everyone to ensure that personal information on mobile phones and private data does not leak or become accessible to junta forces.

The SRD's report, released to mark the fifth anniversary of the coup, documents a total of 19,047 incidents involving extrajudicial killings of civilians and other war crimes committed nationwide by the junta between 1 February 2021 and 1 February 2026. The Spring Revolution Database, established in 2024, aims to collect and preserve records, photographs and video evidence of war crimes attributed to the military junta, with the objective of supporting legal action in both domestic and international courts.

Military junta builds integrated digital surveillance system to crush dissent, report reveals

Mizzima reported that Human Rights Myanmar (HRM) has submitted a report to the UN Special Rapporteur on peaceful assembly and association in November 2025, detailing how the military junta has constructed an integrated digital surveillance system to dismantle freedom of assembly and association in Myanmar.

HRM described the system as a digital dictatorship, combining AI-powered CCTV systems, internet firewalls, spyware and sweeping cybersecurity laws to identify, track and imprison critics. The report detailed that since the 2021 coup, the junta has deployed facial recognition cameras in major cities including Yangon and Mandalay, supplied by foreign firms such as Dahua, Huawei and Hikvision. Surveillance footage is allegedly matched against national ID databases to identify protest participants for arrest.

At the network level, HRM said the junta is building a Great Firewall system using deep packet inspection technology that can monitor and block encrypted communications. The group also documented the use of spyware obtained from suppliers from abroad to infiltrate devices and track activists.

HRM's submission argued that the junta has dismantled legal safeguards and illegally replaced them with amended laws, including the Electronic Transactions Law, Counter-Terrorism Law bylaws and a 2025 Cybersecurity Law. Through these dubious legal provisions, the junta has granted itself broad powers to access data, criminalise online dissent and prosecute VPN use. As of November 2025, nearly 30,000 people have been arbitrarily detained since the coup, HRM said, adding that digital surveillance has served as primary evidence in many prosecutions.

The report added that women activists have been disproportionately targeted through coordinated online harassment, doxing and sexualised disinformation campaigns, often followed by offline arrests. HRM warned that the expansion of biometric data collection and a national electronic ID system could enable what it described as algorithmic repression against ethnic minorities.

The group urged the United Nations and member states to suspend the transfer of surveillance technologies to Myanmar and sanction suppliers. It also called for greater accountability from telecom operators and digital platforms that facilitate the system.

Military junta illegally enacts law banning political and religious teaching in private medical training schools

The military junta has enacted illegally a new amendment to the Private Health Service Law that strictly prohibits the teaching of politics, religion or subjects deemed incompatible with Myanmar culture in private medical training schools, according to legislation issued on 17 February.

The junta unlawfully amended Section 25 of the Private Health Service Law by inserting new provisions including a clause banning the teaching of political subjects. The provision states that private medical training schools must ensure they do not teach party political subjects unrelated to the approved curriculum, religious subjects or subjects considered incompatible with Myanmar culture. It requires those who establish, supervise or manage private health services, along with healthcare providers, to ensure that such subjects are not taught in the training schools.

The amendment also introduces two additional categories of private health services, namely private medical training schools and private outpatient surgery services, along with new regulatory requirements.

Revisions to Section 31 now stipulate that anyone operating a private hospital, private medical training school or private outpatient surgery service without a licence faces a prison sentence of between one and five years and may also be fined. Section 33 of the amended law states that anyone convicted of operating any private health service without a licence, other than a private hospital, private medical training school, private outpatient surgery service, private maternity ward or private clinic, shall face a prison sentence of not less than three months and not more than one year and may also be fined.

Following the 2021 coup, the junta also enacted a private education law in 2023 that bars private schools from teaching, lecturing on, promoting or discussing party politics or political issues.

Myanmar records highest landmine casualties globally in 2024, with deaths and injuries more than doubling in a year

According to the 2025 Landmine Monitor report, Myanmar recorded the highest number of casualties globally in 2024 due to landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), with deaths and injuries more than doubling in a year as conflict spread across the country.

The report, as cited by Mizzima, found that 2,029 people were killed or injured in 2024, a sharp increase from 1,003 in 2023 and 545 in 2022, marking a significant escalation since the military coup in February 2021. Two thirds of casualties were caused by antipersonnel mines, and 86 per cent of victims were civilians.

Since the Landmine Monitor began recording data in Myanmar in 1999, at least 9,206 people have been killed or injured by mines and ERW. The true figure is believed to be higher due to underreporting.

The report stated that the junta's armed forces continue to produce and frequently use antipersonnel landmines. Non-state armed groups, including resistance groups and ethnic revolutionary organisations (EROs), also laid mines including improvised victim-activated devices. New mine use increased significantly in 2024 to 2025. As of October 2025, suspected mine and ERW contamination had been reported in 211 of Myanmar's 330 townships in every state and region. The United Nations previously described the country as littered with landmines.

The Landmine Monitor also documented allegations that the junta has forced civilians to act as human shields and human minesweepers. Junta troops reportedly force civilians to walk ahead of troops in mined areas, a practice that rights groups say constitutes grave violations of international humanitarian law.

Myanmar is not party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. While it has voted in favour of recent UN resolutions supporting the treaty, neither the junta nor the National Unity Government (NUG) has taken steps towards accession.

Access to medical care and rehabilitation for survivors has deteriorated sharply amid ongoing conflict and attacks on health facilities. International demining organisations remain barred from conducting clearance operations. Humanitarian groups warned that without urgent action to halt new mine use and allow systematic clearance, civilians will continue to pay the price long after the guns fall silent.

Female political detainees suffer widespread menstrual disorders and reproductive health crisis in junta prisons, AAPP reports

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported on 18 February that thousands of female political detainees across Myanmar are suffering from serious menstrual disorders and reproductive health complications.

According to the report, extreme stress, physical abuse and chronic malnutrition within the prison system have led to widespread hormonal imbalances. Many women have reported amenorrhea, the total absence of periods for three to six months, while others suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) triggered by the harsh conditions.

AAPP stated that prison authorities bear a special obligation to provide healthcare tailored to women's biological needs, adding that access to menstrual products remains a critical issue for women in detention and that ensuring regular menstrual health must be treated as a priority.

A former political prisoner and female Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) health worker reported that female inmates across multiple prisons are grappling with health complications stemming from mental and physical abuse, with premenstrual dysphoric disorder emerging as the most common condition. Women in detention are reportedly given only painkillers such as Diclofenac and paracetamol to manage menstrual cramps, a practice that risks long-term complications including kidney damage. AAPP added that some female political prisoners require medical examinations and even surgery for gynecological conditions after their release.

AAPP reported that a political detainee who developed amenorrhea while in custody lodged complaints with prison authorities over the shortage of medication and the absence of a female doctor, but no action was taken. The report noted that prison authorities are downplaying prisoners' suffering and denying requests for transfers to external hospitals.

AAPP stated that female prisoners' menstrual health problems are worsened by harsh prison conditions, abuse, malnutrition, limited access to drinking water and sanitary products and poor hygiene, factors that can trigger infections and hormonal imbalances. The organisation warned that the challenges faced by women in prison represent not only a violation of human rights but also a long-term reproductive health crisis that could affect the wellbeing of an entire generation.

AAPP urged local and international organisations to closely monitor the situation and apply strong pressure on those responsible. Data from AAPP revealed that of the 22,783 individuals incarcerated for political reasons across Myanmar, 4,308 are women.

Activities of the National Unity Government and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations

National Unity Government and Spring Revolution Alliance hold talks on defence policy and military coordination

The National Unity Government (NUG) and the Spring Revolution Alliance (SRA) Leadership Committee held talks via Zoom on 27 February 2026. The meeting was attended by NUG Union Minister for the Prime Minister's Office Dr Zaw We Soe, Union Minister for Defence U Yee Mon, Union Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration U Lwin Ko Latt, Union Minister for Planning, Finance and Investment U Tin Tun Naing, and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Daw Zin Mar Aung. The SRA Leadership Committee attended in full.

Dr Zaw We Soe, and SRA Leadership Committee member Salai William Chin delivered opening remarks. Union Minister U Yee Mon then presented the NUG Ministry of Defence's policy on regional-based defence forces.

The participants held discussions on the policy, and exchanged views openly on military operations, intelligence matters and political leadership. The meeting concluded in the evening of the day after agreeing on a roadmap for continued engagement between the SRA and the Ministry of Defence.

NUG condemns military junta's intimidation of diplomatic representative of Timor-Leste

The National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on 16 February 2026 strongly condemning reports that the terrorist military junta has pressured the diplomatic representative of Timor-Leste to leave Myanmar within seven days.

The NUG stated that this act of intimidation against diplomatic engagement undermines the established framework of diplomatic relations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. While Article 9 permits a receiving state to declare a diplomat persona non grata, the NUG noted that this authority must be exercised in accordance with established diplomatic procedures and international law, adding that any form of coercion or intimidation is inconsistent with the spirit of the Convention and the principles governing peaceful diplomatic engagement.

The NUG stated that it maintains regular communication with several ASEAN member states including Timor-Leste, and that the military junta's decision to single out Timor-Leste raises serious concerns regarding its respect for international diplomatic norms and practice.

The NUG expressed its sincere appreciation to all countries including Timor-Leste for their continued support for accountability in Myanmar, justice for victims and the end of the culture of impunity. It respectfully called upon the international community to sustain and strengthen its assistance to the people of Myanmar during this critical period.

NUCC welcomes Thailand's humanitarian engagement but warns ASEAN must not recognise junta's election results

The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) issued a statement on 19 February regarding Thailand's informal meeting with the military junta in Phuket, welcoming humanitarian engagement but emphasising that ASEAN should not recognise the junta's election results or any related institutions.

The NUCC acknowledged Thailand's role as a frontline neighbour that directly faces humanitarian challenges, cross-border complexities and security implications arising from Myanmar's crisis, and welcomed initiatives aimed at easing suffering and promoting dialogue with ethnic communities.

However, the NUCC stressed that ASEAN's credibility depends on consistency. The statement noted that the electoral process conducted in Myanmar between December 2025 and January 2026 was neither free nor inclusive, and that ASEAN has already taken the principled position of not recognising the election results. The NUCC urged that this position must extend to all institutions arising from that process, including the Hluttaws and USDP-claimed parliamentarians.

The NUCC stated that engagement with Myanmar must remain strictly humanitarian and security focused, and that ASEAN unity requires political legitimacy to be reserved for inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, as reflected in the Stakeholders Engagement Meetings initiated by Malaysia and reinforced by the Philippines.

The NUCC reaffirmed its commitment to work with ASEAN's Chair Troika and member states to uphold this principled stance and ensure that ASEAN's engagement with Myanmar remains balanced, constructive and legitimacy-preserving.

Myanmar Ambassador condemns military junta's atrocities against women and girls, calls for rejection of sham elections at UN Women Executive Board session

Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, addressed the UN Women Executive Board First Regular Session 2026 on 18 February 2026, condemning the military junta's widespread and systematic atrocities against civilians, particularly women and girls.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stated that over five years since the unlawful military coup, the devastating human toll continues to rise, with over 7,800 people including women and girls killed by the military junta, more than 3.6 million displaced, and almost 22 million in need of humanitarian assistance, of whom over 10.4 million are women and girls and over 6.3 million are children.

The ambassador highlighted that the multilayered crisis has heightened the risks faced by women and girls in Myanmar. He noted that sexual violence, harassment, displacement and lack of access to healthcare and justice are the daily reality for women and girls. He added that the military junta's forced conscription has left girls, young women and their parents living in constant fear.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stressed that for every household in Myanmar, the military junta and those working for them represent the primary threat. He declared that partnership with the junta is complicity.

He called on donors, including the United Nations, to strengthen direct and genuine partnerships with the National Unity Government (NUG), Ethnic Resistance Organisations (EROs), women-led civil society organisations and local partners on the ground.

As UN Women prepares for CSW70's calls for justice, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun urged that the crisis and the impunity enjoyed by the junta must not be allowed to continue. He called on the United Nations and all member states to reject any attempts by the junta to use its sham elections to gain legitimacy and to conceal atrocities committed against the population, especially women and girls.

Response of the International Community

United Nations calls on governments to clamp down on scam centres exploiting trafficked people across Southeast Asia

The United Nations on 20 February called on governments to clamp down on scam centres, which have mushroomed across Southeast Asia with hundreds of thousands of people trafficked into forced labour.

The UN human rights office released a report documenting torture, sexual abuse, forced abortions, food deprivation, solitary confinement and other abuses endured by victims trapped in these operations. UN rights chief Volker Turk described the litany of abuse as staggering and heartbreaking, urging governments to act against corruption that is deeply entrenched in such lucrative scamming operations and to prosecute the criminal syndicates behind them.

The UN human rights office had said in a 2023 report that hundreds of thousands of people were forced to work in the centres, which other investigations have found are responsible for billions of dollars of online fraud. The new update said satellite imagery and reports from the ground showed that nearly three quarters of the scam operations were in the Mekong region and have spread to some Pacific island countries, South Asia, Gulf states, West Africa and the Americas.

Based on accounts from victims, police and civil society groups, the report said forced labourers were held in immense compounds resembling self-contained towns, made up of heavily fortified multistorey buildings with barbed wire-topped walls and armed guards.

Victims recounted being subjected to immersion in water containers for hours for failing to meet monthly scamming targets, being forced to witness or conduct grave abuse of others to ensure compliance, and being starved for attempting to escape. The report also noted that police and border guards were sometimes complicit in the operations.

The United Nations said many of the forced labourers were wrongly treated as criminals once freed. Turk stated that victims require coordinated, timely, safe and effective rescue operations as well as available support mechanisms to ensure torture and trauma rehabilitation.

Senior human rights officer Pia Oberoi, one of the report's authors, said many people drawn into scam centre recruitment felt they had few options. She noted that survivors reported being under severe economic pressures, with some trying to pay off family debts. Nearly three quarters reported being recruited through someone they trusted. Oberoi called for better oversight of online recruitment by the social media platforms that host the job postings.

UNICEF expresses grave concern over deaths of five children in junta’s airstrikes in Rakhine State and Sagaing Region

UNICEF on 25 February released a statement expressing grave concern over the reported deaths of five children and the wounding of three others in junta’s airstrikes in Rakhine State and Sagaing Region. UNICEF stated that it is deeply alarmed by reports that at least five children have been killed and three others injured in deadly airstrikes that hit Ponnagyun Township, Rakhine State, and Myinmu Township, Sagaing Region, between 23 and 24 February.

The organisation noted that children and civilians are once again bearing the brunt of escalating hostilities, with the strikes in Rakhine State reported to have hit homes and a busy local market in a village hosting displaced families. UNICEF stated that ongoing clashes continue to displace children and upend their access to vital services including healthcare, education and protection, adding that it is responding to the needs of conflict-affected children and their families across Myanmar.

UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, stressing that children must be protected at all times.

Coalition of 235 civil society groups urges UN Human Rights Council to reject junta's sham elections and advance accountability

A coalition of 235 Myanmar, regional and international civil society organisations issued an open letter on 18 February, urging the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to reject the military junta's sham elections, push for accountability and take concrete steps to weaken the junta's capacity to commit human rights violations.

The letter called on the Council to adopt a robust resolution that responds effectively to the escalating human rights and humanitarian catastrophe, unequivocally rejects the junta's attempts to seize legitimacy through a sham electoral process conducted under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, and refuses recognition of any outcomes or governance structures arising from it.

The coalition detailed that since February 2021, at least 30,476 political prisoners have been arrested, 22,780 of whom remain detained, while 7,804 people have been killed. Documentation records at least 501 massacres resulting in thousands of civilian deaths. The junta has carried out 9,794 aerial bombardments, including 7,330 airstrikes, 1,305 drone strikes, 820 paramotor attacks and 339 gyrocopter assaults, resulting in 4,853 documented deaths. More than 3.6 million people are internally displaced and an estimated 12.4 million face acute food insecurity in 2026.

The letter highlighted that the junta's three-phase so-called election held between December 2025 and January 2026 unfolded amid widespread public boycott, heavy militarisation and collapsing territorial control. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights documented that at least 170 people were killed in more than 408 aerial attacks during the voting period. At least 404 people were detained under election-related laws.

The coalition urged the Council to call for a comprehensive global arms embargo including targeted sanctions on aviation fuel, to address the symbiotic relationship between the junta and transnational organised crime, and to mobilise political support for concrete accountability measures including referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court or the establishment of an ad hoc or hybrid international criminal tribunal. The letter also called on the United Nations to move beyond reliance on ASEAN's failed Five-Point Consensus and adopt an approach that supports a Myanmar people-led, rights-based solution grounded in international law, justice and accountability.

Special Advisory Council for Myanmar praises Timor-Leste for leading ASEAN in pursuing legal action against junta leader Min Aung Hlaing

The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) on 23 February praised Timor-Leste for leading ASEAN in exploring legal action against the military junta, urging regional support and cooperation with international justice mechanisms to hold junta leader Min Aung Hlaing accountable.

SAC-M noted that in early February, Timor-Leste appointed a prosecutor to explore potential proceedings against the military junta, including Min Aung Hlaing, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

SAC-M highlighted that Timor-Leste's universal jurisdiction initiative joins a growing list of efforts to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable. Last February, an Argentine court issued arrest warrants for 25 senior junta figures including Min Aung Hlaing in connection with genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya. This followed a November 2024 request by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing for the alleged crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya. Last month, the International Court of Justice held public hearings and heard oral arguments in The Gambia's case against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention.

SAC-M noted that the junta's reprisals against Timor-Leste have been swift and petty, including the ejection of Timor-Leste's chargé d'affaires from the country on the grounds that Timor-Leste breached ASEAN's principle of non-interference. SAC-M stated that the junta's flagrant atrocities and the regional crisis it has triggered deeply impact all ASEAN members individually and collectively.

SAC-M argued that ASEAN's response should be straightforward: back Timor-Leste and crack down on the junta. The council noted that for more than five years, ASEAN has endured relentless humiliation at the junta's hands, with the Five-Point Consensus lasting only 48 hours before Min Aung Hlaing reneged on his commitments. The years since have seen the junta commit mass atrocities, weaponise starvation and natural disasters, block humanitarian aid, displace millions and forcibly conscript tens of thousands of Myanmar youths.

SAC-M called on the Philippines, as current ASEAN Chair, to lead the bloc in principled steps on Myanmar, noting that the Philippines demonstrated its commitment to international law by facilitating the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC. SAC-M urged the Philippines to publicly confirm it will cooperate with the Court when the ICC issues an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing. The council called on Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to add their support, noting Indonesia's role as current President of the UN Human Rights Council and its new Criminal Code which provides for universal jurisdiction over the most serious international crimes.

SAC-M concluded that holding Min Aung Hlaing and his accomplices to account would open new opportunities for a future that fully respects the Myanmar people's aspirations, interests and democratic will, and would lift ASEAN's standing while sending a sharp warning to other power-hungry military figures in the region.

Justice For Myanmar urges coordinated sanctions on vessels and companies supplying jet fuel to military junta

Justice For Myanmar on 23 February urged the EU, UK, Canada, the United States and Australia to impose coordinated sanctions on vessels and companies supplying jet fuel to the military junta, warning that these imports facilitate deadly airstrikes on civilians and sustain the junta's campaign of terror.

The organisation stated that data published by the junta-controlled Myanma Port Authority showed jet fuel imports to Myanmar almost doubled between 2024 and 2025, from 64,562 metric tonnes to 106,604 metric tonnes. It noted that recent publications by Amnesty International and Reuters provide new evidence that these imports are now being enabled by the supply of aviation fuel from Iran's shadow fleet.

Justice For Myanmar called for sanctions on four vessels identified as transporting aviation fuel to Myanmar: BARAAWE 1, which delivered nine shipments in 2023 and 2024; LS MERCURY, which delivered a shipment in 2024; REEF, which delivered three shipments in 2024 and 2025; and NOBLE, which delivered four shipments in 2025. The organisation noted that REEF and NOBLE are reported to be part of Iran's network of vessels used to covertly transport illicit cargo.

The organisation also called for sanctions on the owners and managers of these vessels, including Abu Marine Co. Ltd. domiciled in the Marshall Islands, Pacific Light Operation and Ship Management in the UAE, Allsea Management JSC and Legendsea Co. Ltd. in Vietnam, Sea Route Ship Management FZE, Amethyst Maritime Ventures SA and Sea Hill Maritime SA in the UAE. It further urged sanctions on Hai Linh Co. Ltd., a Vietnamese company operating the Cai Mep Petroleum Terminal which Amnesty International found to have been used to transship aviation fuel to Myanmar, and on the Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE), a state-owned enterprise controlled by the junta that oversees the aviation fuel supply chain in Myanmar.

Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung said a supply chain stretching from Vietnam to Iran is fuelling the junta's international crimes, enabling airstrikes that terrorise the people of Myanmar. She added that the involvement of Vietnam underscores the failure of ASEAN, which continues to impede an effective international response while some of its members profit. Maung noted that to date, only Canada has moved to ban the export, sale, supply and shipment of aviation fuel and provision of shipping insurance for aviation fuel to Myanmar, and urged other governments to follow Canada's lead.

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Date: 28 February 2026

Permanent Mission of Myanmar, New York