Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar (16-06-2026 to 30-06-2026)

Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar

(16-06-2026 to 30-06-2026)

(6) 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.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), since the coup, (8143) people were killed by the military junta. More than (31,000) people have been arbitrarily arrested for opposing the military coup. Over 3.7 million people are being displaced. Over 16.2 million people are in immediate need of humanitarian assistance. Among them, over 10 million are women and girls, and over 5 million are children. 116,897 houses were burned down throughout Myanmar since the illegal coup until the end of 31 May 2025, according to Data for Myanmar.

According to the UNDP, 49.7 per cent of the population in Myanmar was living under the national poverty line in 2023. Its report in June 2025 further 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 dismantling of the rule of law by the junta, transnational organised crimes including online scams, drug trafficking, and human trafficking are rising across the country and generating serious security implications for the region and beyond.

The suffering of the people has been further 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 hit. The earthquake killed almost 4,200 people, injured over 3,680 others. Infrastructure, houses, and religious facilities were severely destroyed.

According to the data collected by AAPP, from 1 April to 30 June, 2026, the junta killed (68) women in total across the country, including (11) girls under the age of 18. These are the numbers that have been verified. Among them, (45) women were killed by the junta’s airstrikes, marking the highest cause of death, followed by (15) women who were killed by the junta’s artillery strikes. During the stated period, the AAPP has also received information regarding the death of (66) women, as a result of junta attacks, whose identities have yet to be confirmed.

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

Junta unleashes 1,147 aerial attacks on civilians, killing 277 in 100-day campaign

The Ministry of Human Rights of the National Unity Government reported that the junta launched 1,147 aerial attacks across 396 separate incidents nationwide spanning 20 April to 30 June 2026. Sagaing Region recorded the highest number of aerial incidents with 97 and 249 attacks, followed closely by Chin State with 66 incidents and 249 attacks, and Magway Region with 65 incidents and 241 attacks. Further attacks were recorded in Rakhine State with 33 incidents and 105 attacks, Bago Region with 32 incidents and 62 attacks, Mandalay Region with 29 incidents and 44 attacks, Tanintharyi Region with 25 incidents and 45 attacks, Karen State with 16 incidents and 31 attacks, Mon State with 11 incidents and 73 attacks, Karenni State with nine incidents and nine attacks, Kachin State with eight incidents and 16 attacks, Shan State with three incidents and 16 attacks, and Ayeyarwady Region with two incidents and seven attacks.

The ministry stated that these targeted airstrikes against civilians killed 277 people during the period, including 45 children under the age of 18, 112 adults, and 120 victims whose age remained unknown. A further 431 people, including children, were injured in the attacks, comprising 46 children under 18, 120 adults, and 265 whose age was not established. The ministry reported that the airstrikes also destroyed 600 residential homes, 22 schools, nine healthcare facilities, and 30 religious structures.

The ministry further documented the areas most heavily targeted by junta atrocities during the 100-day period, identifying Magway Region as the most affected area with 199 recorded incidents, followed by Sagaing Region with 148 and Mandalay Region with 144. Tanintharyi Region recorded 101 incidents, Rakhine State 77, Bago Region 84, Chin State 82, Kachin State 48, Ayeyarwady Region 39, Mon State 36, Yangon Region 34, Karen State 28, Karenni State 13, Shan State seven, areas outside Myanmar four, and Nay Pyi Taw one.

According to the ministry, the junta committed a total of 20 massacres during the same period, resulting in 162 deaths. The ministry defines a mass atrocity as an incident involving the simultaneous killing of five or more people in a single event. Chin State recorded the highest number of massacres with five, followed by Mandalay Region with three, and Sagaing, Mon, Magway, Karen and Bago each recording two, while Rakhine and Kachin each recorded one.

The ministry also documented 1,045 human rights violations committed by the junta between 20 April and 30 June 2026. Extrajudicial killing accounted for 229 cases and property destruction for 227, while a further 223 cases were categorised as other violations. Forced labour accounted for 136 cases, arbitrary arrest 58, forced displacement 51, torture 26, freedom of movement violations 24, destruction of religious buildings 22, arbitrary detention 15, freedom of expression violations 10, unfair trial seven, attacks on medical centres six, freedom of religion and belief violations four, sexual violence three, and enforced disappearance and child soldier recruitment two each.

The scale and pattern of these documented atrocities, including the deliberate targeting and killing of displaced civilians, the extrajudicial execution of a child, the burning of an entire village, and the repeated drone strikes on civilians attempting to flee or extinguish fires, constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law's protections for civilians and international human rights law's prohibitions on extrajudicial killing and the deliberate targeting of protected and vulnerable persons.

Junta aerial attacks, violations, conscription and massacres surge across Myanmar in June 2026

The Documentation and Research Department of the Ministry of Human Rights of the National Unity Government reported that the junta carried out 428 aerial attacks across 171 separate cases in June 2026, resulting in the deaths of 95 people and injuries to 199 others. Air-strikes remained the junta's dominant method of aerial assault, accounting for 305 of the total attacks, followed by drone strikes at 86, gyrocopter assaults at 22, and paramotor attacks at 15. Of the 95 people killed, 49 were adults, 18 were children under the age of 18, and the age of 28 victims remained unverified at the time of reporting. Among the 199 people injured, 69 were adults, 18 were children, and the age of 112 remained unconfirmed. The junta's attacks also destroyed civilian and protected infrastructure during the month, including 11 religious buildings, nine schools, and four medical facilities. The continued and widespread destruction of schools, religious buildings, and medical facilities, alongside the high proportion of civilian and child casualties recorded, reflects a sustained pattern of indiscriminate and disproportionate aerial attacks by the junta in violation of international humanitarian law's protections for civilians and civilian objects.

The Ministry of Human Rights also reported documenting a total of 451 human rights violations committed by the junta across Myanmar during the same month. The ministry recorded 98 cases of extrajudicial killing and 91 cases of property destruction among the violations, alongside 99 cases categorised as other violations. Forced labour accounted for 50 cases, while forced displacement and arbitrary arrest accounted for 25 and 24 cases respectively. Further violations documented by the ministry included 13 cases of torture, 11 cases restricting freedom of movement, 10 cases restricting freedom of expression, and nine cases involving the destruction of religious buildings. The ministry also recorded six cases of arbitrary detention, four cases infringing freedom of religion and belief, three cases of sexual violence, three cases of unfair trial, two attacks on medical centres, two cases of enforced disappearance, and one case of child soldier recruitment. By region, Magway recorded the highest number of violations with 89 cases, followed by Mandalay with 69, Sagaing with 57, Tanintharyi with 43, and Chin with 39. Rakhine recorded 33 cases, Bago 27, Yangon 18, Kachin and Ayeyarwady 17 each, Mon 14, Karen 10, Karenni (Kayah) nine, and Shan six, with a further three cases documented outside Myanmar. The scale and diversity of the violations recorded, spanning extrajudicial killings, forced labour, torture, and sexual violence across nearly every state and region, underscore the systematic nature of the junta's ongoing violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

In addition, the ministry reported 31 documented cases of forced conscription by the junta in June 2026, affecting a total of 117 people, all of whom were recorded as male. The ministry stated that the data was compiled from its own complaint mechanism as well as from online sources. Magway Region recorded the highest number of conscripted persons with 68, followed by Yangon Region with 29 and Tanintharyi Region with 10. Mandalay Region recorded six conscripted persons, while Ayeyarwady Region recorded four. The continued forced conscription of civilians by the junta, carried out under threat of detention and without regard for consent, constitutes a form of forced labour and represents a grave violation of international human rights law.

The ministry further reported eight massacres carried out by the junta during June 2026, resulting in the deaths of 42 people. The ministry defines a massacre as an incident resulting in the deaths of at least five people. Of the 42 people killed, 10 were adults and eight were children under the age of 18, while the age of 24 victims remained unverified. By gender, 17 of those killed were male, 11 were female, and the gender of 14 victims remained unconfirmed. The cases were concentrated in Myanmar's northwestern regions, according to the ministry's mapping of the incidents. The recurrence of mass-casualty attacks against civilian populations, with a significant proportion of victims being children and identities in many cases still unverified, constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law's prohibition on the deliberate and indiscriminate killing of civilians.

Junta airstrikes kill three girls in Chin State as bombing campaign intensifies in Mindat Township

Mizzima reported that a wave of junta airstrikes killed three girls under the age of 10 in Mindat Township, Chin State, as the junta dropped 37 bombs across the region in a single day. A junta jet fighter targeted Shaim Village at approximately 5.30 am on 29 June 2026 while residents were still asleep. Three bombs struck residential homes directly, killing the young girls instantly and leaving several other villagers injured.

Local confirmed that the strike took place far from any active combat zone, catching civilians entirely off guard. The wounded were reported to be receiving emergency medical treatment, while grief-stricken residents took to social media to mourn the sudden loss of the children.

Later that day, at around 5.15 pm, junta jet fighters reportedly bombed areas near Mindat town twice, dropping four bombs, according to HKL, which monitors news from Mindat. Additionally, between 6.35 pm and 7.20 pm, a Y12 aircraft conducted 11 bombing runs over eastern Mindat, dropping three bombs on each run. The extent of the damage or casualties from these later attacks remained unknown at the time of reporting.

Since 29 May 2026, battles have been ongoing between junta forces advancing from Kyaukhtu in Magway Region and local Chin revolutionary forces and their allies, as the junta attempts to regain control of Mindat. The Chin Human Rights Organisation stated that despite a strong ground offensive, the junta has not been able to secure the township and is resorting to excessive aerial bombardment. According to records kept by the Chin Human Rights Organisation, from 11 April to 22 June 2026, junta aircraft conducted 168 flights over Mindat, carrying out 440 bombing attacks, with 45 per cent of these attacks occurring within a four-day period and the highest single-day count reaching 91 airstrikes.

The killing of young children in their homes far from any combat zone, together with the sustained and disproportionate aerial bombardment of Mindat Township, constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law's prohibition on indiscriminate attacks and its requirement to distinguish between civilians and military objectives.

Junta airstrikes kill seven civilians, including pregnant woman, in Kanpetlet Township

Myanmar Now reported that junta airstrikes in Kanpetlet Township, Chin State, killed seven civilians, including a pregnant woman, and injured more than 10 others within three days. The casualties occurred during aerial bombings targeting two villages in the township on 19 and 22 June 2026.

An airstrike targeting Kyindwe (Old Village), where displaced civilians were sheltering, at 11.30 pm on 19 June killed three men and two women and injured more than 10 others. A further airstrike near Kyauktaung village at 11.30 pm on 22 June killed a pregnant woman and her young son.

A local said that there were no active ground clashes at the time and that the attack was carried out by dropping bombs from drones. With junta columns currently advancing towards Kanpetlet, the Township People's Administration has urged residents to dig bomb shelters at every home and seek cover immediately upon receiving airstrike warnings.

In southern Chin State, the junta is also heavily bombing Mindat town alongside Kanpetlet. The Chin Human Rights Organisation reported that the junta launched 440 airstrikes on Mindat within a 70-day period from 11 April to 22 June 2026. During this period, approximately 168 military flights were recorded, with up to 91 bombing runs conducted on 21 June alone. The Chin Human Rights Organisation stated that most airstrikes used Y-12 aircraft, directly targeting civilian locations and structures.

The deliberate targeting of a village sheltering displaced civilians, and the killing of a pregnant woman and child in an area with no active ground fighting, constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law's prohibition on attacks against civilians and civilian objects.

Human Rights Abuses

AAPP report documents killing of 1,083 children by junta violence since 2021 coup

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) released a report on 1 July 2026 titled The Child Rights Crisis in Burma, documenting the scale of violations committed against children since the junta's illegal seizure of power on 1 February 2021. The report found that children have been continuously killed and maimed as a result of the junta's airstrikes, artillery shelling, raids and destruction of villages, and that children are increasingly being directly targeted rather than affected only as incidental victims of the conflict.

According to AAPP, in September 2021 a one-and-a-half-year-old child was killed by gunfire in Nyaung-U Township, Mandalay Region. In December 2021, children were among those killed when civilians were burned to death in an incident in Mo So Village, Kayah State. On 16 September 2022, a school in Let Yet Kone Village, Tabayin Township, Sagaing Region, was attacked by Mi-35 helicopters, killing 11 children aged between seven and 13 and injuring at least 17 other children and two teachers, with more than 200 children reported to have been inside the school at the time. In April 2023, an airstrike on Pa Zi Gyi Village, Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region, killed and injured numerous children. Besides, later that year a four-year-old child was killed in an airstrike in Mindat Township, Chin State. In 2025, children were killed in attacks in Hakha and Mindat townships, also in Chin State. In June 2026, an airstrike carried out during school dismissal hours in Mahlaing Township, Mandalay Region, killed three students and injured others.

AAPP stated that a total of 1,083 children were killed by junta violence from the time of the coup until the end of June 2026, including 632 children aged between zero and 13 and 451 children above the age of 13. The youngest verified victim was two months old. AAPP said these figures represent verified cases only, with the deaths of a further 400 children still under ongoing verification. Verified child deaths rose sharply year on year, from 101 in 2021 to 135 in 2022, 208 in 2023, 251 in 2024 and 293 in 2025, before AAPP recorded 95 verified deaths in the first half of 2026.

The report also documented a sustained pattern of attacks on schools. Citing open-source data, AAPP said that at least 470 schools, preschools and training centres across the country were damaged or destroyed by junta airstrikes between the 2021 coup and 21 October 2025, with Sagaing Region recording the highest number at 134 affected facilities. Attacks on schools rose sharply year on year, from 55 in 2021 and 38 in 2022 to 62 in 2023, 144 in 2024 and 171 by 21 October 2025. AAPP named a series of schools that had come under attack, including Let Yet Kone School and Oe Htein Kwin School in Tabayin Township, Ma Gyi Kan School in Myaing Township, Htan Taw School in Ye-U Township, Nat Inn School in Kawlin Township, Moke Soe Chon School in Wetlet Township, Vanhar School in Hakha Township, Htinchaung School in Mindat Township and Ka Net Thi Ri School in Thayetchaung Township. The report said the attacks on Let Yet Kone, Ma Gyi Kan and Oe Htein Kwin village schools took place when children had gathered during school hours and were directly targeted, and that an airstrike on Oe Htein Kwin Village School in May 2025 killed 22 students and two teachers. A separate report by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, cited by AAPP, recorded at least 245 attacks on schools and at least 190 instances of the junta occupying schools and universities for military purposes during 2022 and 2023. AAPP said the reopening of basic education schools across the country in June 2026 has not restored safety for children in conflict-affected areas, who continue to face the risk of airstrikes, drone attacks and artillery shelling while attending school.

The report further documented arbitrary detention and the use of children as hostages by the junta, stating that children have been arrested in place of parents who could not be apprehended, detained as hostages to compel parents to surrender, and arrested and interrogated over their association with political activists. AAPP said a total of 639 children have been arrested since the coup until the end of June 2026, of whom 558 were aged between 13 and 18, 41 were under seven, and 40 were aged between seven and 13. AAPP interviewed a child who was 16 years old at the time of arrest, who described being denied contact with family, interrogated for a full day with hands cuffed behind the back, and beaten with rubber sticks over an extended period, including threats of sexual violence during interrogation.

AAPP also documented conditions faced by children and mothers detained together in junta prisons, stating that children have lived in detention without access to dedicated childcare, healthcare or education. A former female political prisoner told AAPP that a two-year-old girl was detained with her mother after being arrested in Mingalartaungnyunt Township, and that a baby aged nine months was taken into detention from South Okkalapa Township, remaining in custody with her mother until she was nearly five years old. The former prisoner said prison authorities provided nothing specifically for children and that medicine for sick children had to be purchased from prison staff or brought in from outside. AAPP further reported testimony describing pregnant political prisoners denied timely access to hospital care, including one case in which a prisoner in labour was not sent to hospital in time and the baby died, and another in which a prisoner who gave birth in an outside hospital was shackled and had her leg chained to iron bars before being returned to prison with her newborn.

On forced displacement, AAPP stated that thousands of children have been forced to flee their homes due to airstrikes, artillery shelling and the burning of villages, with most now living in displacement camps, monasteries and temporary shelter. The report said displaced children have lost access to education and healthcare, been separated from family members, and increasingly show signs of anxiety, insomnia and trauma linked to witnessing airstrikes and other violent incidents. AAPP cited World Health Organization data indicating that an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five remain unimmunised or insufficiently immunised due to the collapse of routine healthcare services amid the conflict.

AAPP concluded that the documented pattern of airstrikes, artillery shelling, arbitrary detention, forced displacement and attacks on schools since the 2021 coup reflects systematic violations by the junta of children's rights to life, safety, education and development under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and international humanitarian law, and that conditions faced by detained children and mothers further breach protections guaranteed under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and international prison standards including the Bangkok Rules and the Nelson Mandela Rules. AAPP called for expanded child protection and mental health support in conflict areas, equitable humanitarian access for all children, continued support for emergency education, stronger monitoring of detained children's welfare, and sustained international efforts to ensure accountability for perpetrators of grave violations against children in Myanmar.

Human Rights Myanmar report finds junta has slashed public access to independent news by nearly half since 2021 coup

A new report by Human Rights Myanmar found that the junta has cut public access to independent news by nearly half since the 2021 coup through internet restrictions, surveillance and rising data costs. The report, titled News Audience Suppression Under Myanmar's Digital Coup, analysed 12 billion Facebook data points drawn from 50 Myanmar media outlets, comparing the pre-coup period with the 2025 to 2026 junta-organised election period.

According to the report, the combined audience reach of the sampled media outlets fell by 48 per cent, from 4.7 billion monthly views before the coup to 2.4 billion in 2026. At the same time, media production increased by 18 per cent, while regional media outlets expanded output by 108 per cent, which the report's authors described as evidence of the resilience of independent journalism under military repression.

The report attributed the collapse in audience reach to the junta's internet shutdowns, the blocking of Facebook and independent news websites, restrictions on VPNs, extensive digital surveillance, higher internet costs, and changes to Facebook's algorithms. Researchers stated that these measures have transformed access to news into a high-risk and costly activity, encouraging widespread self-censorship among the public.

Public engagement on Facebook reflected these concerns, with shares of media posts falling by 63 per cent and comments declining by 42 per cent, which the report said suggests users are increasingly avoiding visible interactions that could expose them to military surveillance.

The report also found that audiences increasingly rejected junta propaganda, with the reach of military-affiliated media declining by 76 per cent, while independent outlets continued to dominate news production. Public engagement also shifted away from pro-junta narratives, which the report said underscores that audiences continued to seek independent reporting despite growing barriers to access.

The study further warned that Myanmar's online information space is becoming increasingly polarised. While strongly anti-junta media gained audiences, views of more impartial outlets fell by 70 per cent, raising concerns that shrinking shared information spaces could deepen social divisions. Human Rights Myanmar concluded that restoring access to independent information is essential for the survival of Myanmar's media sector and for protecting the public's fundamental right to information.

The junta's systematic suppression of independent media access through internet shutdowns, surveillance and censorship constitutes a violation of the internationally recognised right to freedom of expression and the right to seek, receive and impart information, as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Actions of Resistance Forces against the Junta

Resistance forces down junta Mi-17 helicopter in Myaing Township, Magway Region

Magway People's Defence Force announced that its fighters shot down a junta Mi-17 helicopter in Myaing Township, within Pakokku District, Magway Region. A representative of the Magway People's Defence Force stated that comprehensive details regarding casualties and operational records would be made public once ground forces clarified the situation. The resistance group echoed this on its social media platforms, adding that further information about the downing would be provided shortly.

Footage circulating widely on social media showed resistance forces firing at the aircraft, with a visible flame erupting following a free-flight rocket impact. The exact extent of the damage and any potential casualties remained unconfirmed at the time of reporting.

According to the Magway People's Defence Force, the operation was carried out in collaboration with allied resistance forces. Following the incident, the group warned local residents and personnel to remain highly cautious of potential retaliatory aerial attacks by the junta.

The development follows an ongoing junta offensive in the southern part of Myaing Township, which began on 15 June 2026. An official from the We Love Myaing organisation reported that a junta column has deployed troops along the Twinma-Tharyatkan-Kaingtawma road section, as well as around Kaingtawma, Kannet and Kankale villages.

Four junta soldiers defect to Chin resistance forces in Tedim Township, two killed fleeing

Chinland Defence Force-Siyin issued a statement on 18 June 2026 announcing that four junta personnel, including a veteran sergeant, defected from the Thaingyin camp in Tedim Township, Chin State, bringing their weapons and ammunition with them, and were subsequently presented with cash rewards by the group.

According to resistance sources, the defectors were personnel from Light Infantry Battalion 101, under the command of Light Infantry Division 77, and had only recently arrived at the Thaingyin camp from Kalay on 4 June. The group of four included a sergeant with 26 years of service who had previously been deployed to Yangon, Tanintharyi and Rakhine, a corporal with seven years of service who had prior deployments in Okpho and Rakhine, and two privates who had each served for four years.

On 11 June, a total of six soldiers initially fled the camp together, but junta forces pursued and opened fire on them, killing two soldiers, while the remaining four escaped and reached Chin resistance forces on 17 June. A spokesperson for CDF CDM Siyin told Mizzima that because the soldiers had only recently arrived at the Thaingyin camp, they lacked detailed knowledge of the local terrain and camp layout prior to their escape.

The strategic significance of Thaingyin village stems from its location at the junction of the Kalay-Tedim-Falam highway, serving as a critical logistical and military hub that has frequently been the site of armed clashes. The junta re-established control over the area on 9 November 2025. CDF CDM Siyin, a member organisation of the Chinland Council, stated that all defectors are being assisted in accordance with their wishes to relocate safely to liberated zones, while captured prisoners of war continue to be detained in strict compliance with the Geneva Convention.

The junta's pursuit and killing of soldiers attempting to flee its own ranks reflects the coercive control the military exercises over its personnel, underscoring the broader climate of violence and disregard for life that has characterised its conduct since the illegal seizure of power in February 2021.

Activities of the National Unity Government and Ethnic Revolutionary Organisations

NUG warns economic agreements with junta lack legitimacy, carry legal and financial risks

The National Unity Government stated in its statement on 25 June 2026 that any economic and investment agreements concluded with the junta lack democratic legitimacy and public oversight, warning that such arrangements may be subject to significant legal, financial and operational risks both now and in the future.

The NUG set out its position on engagements by neighbouring countries, international partners and organisations that could be seen as reflecting partnership with the terrorist military coup leader, as well as on new investments and economic and infrastructure agreements in Myanmar.

The NUG said Myanmar's long-term stability and economic development depend on a legitimate and accountable system of governance that reflects the will of the people, and stated that prioritising engagement with the junta would not help resolve the country's crisis. It said such engagement risks emboldening the junta and worsening its campaign of violence and repression, and described the junta's electoral process as a sham.

The NUG called for any international investment in Myanmar to be guided by transparency, accountability, respect for human rights and consideration of the interests of local communities, and said it continued to attach importance to Myanmar's sovereignty and to fostering relations with the international community on the basis of mutual respect. The statement did not name specific countries, companies or agreements. It said the NUG remained open to cooperation with international partners and neighbouring countries on matters such as border stability and transnational crime, provided such cooperation respects the will of the people of Myanmar.

NUG Deputy Minister meets USCIRF to discuss Myanmar human rights crisis

Deputy Minister U Aung Kyaw Moe of the Ministry of Human Rights, alongside ministry officials, met with Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and the USCIRF team on 24 June 2026 for detailed discussions on the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on the deteriorating human rights situation across the country resulting from the junta's atrocities, the persecution of the Rohingya people, and the severe challenges faced by other ethnic and religious minorities amid the continuing conflict. They underscored the urgent need for accountability to hold perpetrators of human rights violations responsible, the necessity of protecting vulnerable communities, and the importance of international support in building a federal democratic Myanmar founded on equality, justice and human dignity.

Deputy Minister U Aung Kyaw Moe and the officials expressed their appreciation to USCIRF for its sustained attention to the Myanmar crisis and its advocacy. They also emphasised that as the people of Myanmar continue their struggle for freedom and democracy, sustained international engagement remains paramount to ensuring that the voices of victims and marginalised communities are heard globally.

Both parties further emphasised their commitment to continue working collectively towards a future where all people in Myanmar, regardless of ethnicity, religion or any form of discrimination, can coexist in peace, security and full human dignity.

Myanmar ambassador says junta cannot be trusted as a humanitarian partner, urges international action at ECOSOC

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, stated that Myanmar is facing the worst humanitarian crisis in its recent history since the illegal coup of 2021, caused by the junta's systematic violence, indiscriminate airstrikes on civilians, and weaponisation of humanitarian aid.

The ambassador said the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with the junta hindering aid access, blocking deliveries, and imposing administrative barriers in conflict-affected areas, using humanitarian assistance as a weapon. He stated that the junta exploits well-intentioned humanitarian diplomacy and engagement to manufacture legitimacy, conceal its crimes, and commit further atrocities.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stressed that despite many challenges, the National Unity Government and allied democratic forces, through the newly formed Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union, are actively coordinating with local organisations and communities to protect civilians and deliver emergency humanitarian assistance on the ground.

The ambassador stated that the junta, which brutally destroys people's lives and disregards human dignity, has clearly proven it can never be a trusted partner in delivering effective humanitarian assistance. He called on the international community to take decisive and effective action to address the root causes of Myanmar's conflict, to eradicate the military dictatorship, and to fully support the courageous efforts of the people of Myanmar to build a federal democratic union.

Myanmar ambassador urges international community to reject junta's sham election, warns against normalising ties

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, addressing an informal meeting convened by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar for member states, stated that the situation in Myanmar has deteriorated on every front, with the junta expanding its aerial attacks during 2026.

The ambassador noted that State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi turned 81 years old on the day of the meeting, and that a global Proof of Life campaign, including the 81 for 81 challenges, is under way worldwide to demand that the junta prove she remains alive and in good health. He said a Rose Movement campaign is also under way calling for her release and the release of all political prisoners.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said the junta's sham election and fabricated results must be firmly rejected, describing the exercise as merely a change from military uniform into civilian dress, akin to the junta replaying an old record. He stated that there has been no genuine progress on the ground, and that war crimes and crimes against humanity continue to be committed.

The ambassador warned that any unwarranted engagement with the junta would only embolden it to commit further atrocities against the civilian population, describing this as a pattern the junta has pursued over a long period. He said the complete collapse of the rule of law under the junta cannot be overlooked, stating that it has fuelled a rise in cross-border crimes, including online scams.

In contrast, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said the people of Myanmar are forging a united path against the junta, and that the Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union is working to consolidate its political and operational frameworks.

He called on the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, ASEAN and the wider international community to exercise their mandates with firm resolve and coordinated action, and to implement their decisions fully and effectively. The ambassador concluded by stating that ending the junta's impunity, restoring the rule of law, and establishing an inclusive democracy that guarantees the rights of all people in Myanmar are the only lasting solutions.

Myanmar ambassador says junta's atrocities against women constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity at UN Security Council debate

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, addressing the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security on 19 June 2026, stated that Myanmar has been trapped in a manmade, brutal conflict for more than five years. He said the root cause of the multidimensional crisis now unfolding lies solely in the illegal military coup of February 2021 and the military violence being committed against civilians.

The ambassador stated that the junta continues to this day to systematically commit war crimes and crimes against humanity, blatantly violating international law, international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

He said Myanmar's women and girls, who continue to defend human rights and women's rights, remain unbowed, unyielding and entirely without fear, standing firmly at the forefront of the revolution. He stated that the Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union is actively working to ensure gender equality within future federal institutions, and is also preparing transitional justice mechanisms to enable the prosecution of junta perpetrators responsible for gender-based atrocities.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said that throughout the period of the illegal military coup in Myanmar, the international community has not yet been able to deliver the decisive response the people clearly want and demand. He stated that Myanmar's future depends on the complete eradication of military dictatorship and the building of a federal democratic union.

The ambassador said the courage of women on the ground demonstrates that they are not merely those who have suffered within the conflict, but the very builders of future peace. He stated that there is no more time to waste, and that the time has come to resolve the root cause of the problem.

He concluded by expressing hope that the Security Council and the entire United Nations system would match the resilience of the people of Myanmar with decisive action, stating that only this would bring a definitive end to the impunity the junta continues to benefit from, ensure accountability, and give effect to the legitimate and genuine will of the people of Myanmar.

Myanmar ambassador calls for accountability over junta's grave violations against children at UN Security Council debate

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, addressing the UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict on 25 June 2026, stated that Myanmar is among the countries witnessing grave violations against children since the illegal coup.

The ambassador said the Secretary-General's report highlighted a disproportionate number of violations committed against children by the junta and its affiliated forces. He stated that the junta's airstrikes remain a leading cause of the destruction and suffering faced by civilians, including children.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said that deliberate and targeted airstrikes by the junta on schools and learning centres have essentially deprived children of safe spaces to learn and their right to education.

He called on member states to cut the flow of arms, weapons, jet fuel, other dual-use items and related technologies to the junta. He stated that the sharp rise in the junta's violence has been reinforced by continued impunity and the absence of effective accountability mechanisms.

The ambassador said there is a widespread public perception that reckless and unwarranted engagement with the junta has emboldened it to commit further atrocities against civilians, including women and children.

He noted that the National Unity Government and allied democratic forces, through the Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union, are working with Civil Disobedience Movement teachers to utilise available technologies to create innovative online education pathways for children and young people in Myanmar.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said that narrow self-interest should not be prioritised over the protection of children in Myanmar. He reiterated his call on the international community to support the people of Myanmar in their efforts to eradicate the military dictatorship and build a federal democratic union, stating that only this would genuinely guarantee the protection of children.

Myanmar ambassador attends UN Charter's 80th anniversary ceremony in New York

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, attended the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter, held at UN Headquarters on 26 June 2026, alongside representatives of UN member states.

At the ceremony, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and a youth representative delivered opening remarks, followed by statements from representatives of member states.

The President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General stated that the UN Charter was born out of courage to build a better world out of danger, and that this work remains unfinished, requiring continued unity in facing the challenges ahead. They stressed that under the theme Better Together, One Charter, One Future, member states would be able to achieve more by facing challenges together, and described the United Nations as one of humanity's most remarkable achievements.

In the days preceding the ceremony, the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, and permanent representatives of UN member states signed a commemorative poster featuring the preamble of the UN Charter, as a renewed pledge of commitment to it. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun took part in the signing alongside permanent representatives of ASEAN member states.

Response of the International Community

UN Special Envoy reports increasingly bleak situation in Myanmar and urges release of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Ms Julie Bishop, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, told an informal meeting of the General Assembly in New York on 19 June 2026 that the situation across Myanmar is highly polarised and increasingly bleak, with ground realities showing continued deterioration. She said records are being set for all the wrong reasons, describing Myanmar as a global epicentre for cybercrime where transnational criminal syndicates operating industrial-scale scam compounds have expanded human trafficking networks as far as Africa, a global supplier of methamphetamine and opium, and the world's leading source of landmine casualties. She reported that 2025 was the deadliest year for children in Myanmar since 2021, with airstrikes the leading cause of civilian casualties, and that more than 3.7 million people are internally displaced with a further 1.6 million across the region.

On the elections administered by the junta, the Special Envoy noted that polling concluded in January 2026 with the Union Solidarity and Development Party, the political wing of the military, securing a predictable landslide victory, and that opposition participation was severely restricted. A number of Myanmar stakeholders view the outcome as a consolidation of power for the military rather than a transition to a civilian government. While the junta claimed the polls were free and fair, many on the ground described tight security, a reduced electorate, the exclusion of major political parties, low turnout and polls conducted in the midst of ongoing armed conflict. She confirmed that the United Nations neither supported nor observed the process, and that throughout the polls military operations and aerial attacks continued, including strikes on civilian areas with children among the victims.

The Special Envoy said she has repeatedly raised the predicament of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was re-elected in November 2020 but condemned to a harsh and punitive detention, adding that there have been no independent verifiable reports of her circumstances for years. On the State Counsellor's 81st birthday, she urged others to join her in calling for the release, stating that in the eyes of many there can be no progress to peace while the State Counsellor is held prisoner, and reiterated the call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained as reflected in Security Council resolution 2669. She concluded that the international community must remain steadfast in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and be guided by their appeals for help.

UN human rights report finds decline in international aid compounding suffering as junta violence continues

The United Nations Human Rights Office reported on 22 June 2026 that a decline in international assistance is compounding the suffering of millions of people in Myanmar as the conflict situation worsens more than five years after the coup. The report covers the period from August 2025 to the end of January 2026, from the junta's announcement of elections through to the conclusion of the voting period.

According to the report, credible sources verified a minimum of 702 civilian deaths during the six-month reporting period, occurring mostly in the central regions and Rakhine State. Of these, 476 deaths were due to airstrikes, with 111 deaths, including 43 women and 10 children, occurring before the start of voting in December 2025.

The report detailed serious human rights violations amid ongoing conflict-related violence, lack of respect for the rule of law, denial of humanitarian assistance, and the impact of the junta-controlled elections. It stated that foreign actors continue to transfer arms, their parts and components, ammunition and munitions, as well as jet fuel and other dual-use items to the junta, adding that this risks facilitating violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for humanitarian access to be urgently provided. Türk stated that as if the people of Myanmar had not suffered enough at the hands of the junta, they had now seemingly been forgotten by those outside the country. He said funding for localised protection efforts was, in many areas, the only solace from the suffering caused by constant targeting and indiscriminate attacks by the junta, and that the pullback in international assistance only compounds that injury.

Türk further stated that the international community should hold up a mirror to itself and ask whether, after a decade of grievous suffering, it is prepared to fail the people of Myanmar yet again, adding that the answer must be no.

The report found that community-based groups, civil society organisations and local governance systems have had to take on the responsibility of creating and managing their own civilian protection mechanisms across Myanmar, providing a measure of relief that falls far short of needs. The decline in international assistance has also led to major cuts, closures and layoffs across civil society organisations, with ethnic media and women's organisations disproportionately affected, the report said. Reductions or suspensions of humanitarian and community-based programmes, including assistance for displaced people, education programmes and psychosocial support, have increased the population's vulnerability, according to the report.

The verified killing of hundreds of civilians through indiscriminate airstrikes, alongside the continued transfer of arms and dual-use materials to the junta by foreign actors, underscores the urgent need for accountability under international humanitarian law and reinforces calls for a comprehensive arms embargo to prevent further violations against the people of Myanmar.

Human Rights Watch urges Japan to reject junta's call for resumed development aid

Human Rights Watch warned that Japan should reject the junta's call for development aid, citing the junta's poor record on human rights and humanitarian assistance. In an opinion piece written by Teppei Kasai, senior programme officer with the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, the organisation warned of the dangers such assistance would pose for Japan.

Khin Khin Soe, spokesperson for Myanmar's junta-controlled parliament, urged the Japanese government on 30 June 2026 to resume development aid to the country. At a news conference in Nay Pyi Taw, the spokesperson said ordinary citizens would suffer as a result of Japan's continued suspension of new aid. Japan suspended development assistance, support for long-term government projects rather than urgent humanitarian aid, to Myanmar following the February 2021 coup.

Human Rights Watch stated that the spokesperson's expressed concern for the wellbeing of Myanmar's people bore no relation to the junta's actions. Since the coup, the junta has committed widespread and systematic human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture and attacks on civilians that amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The organisation stated that the junta misused Japan-funded civilian vessels in 2022 to transport soldiers and weapons in embattled Rakhine State. Human Rights Watch research also found that a military-owned conglomerate benefited financially from Japan's Bago River Bridge Construction Project. The junta has also repeatedly obstructed the flow of humanitarian aid following natural disasters, according to the organisation.

Human Rights Watch noted that the junta-organised sham elections held in December 2025 and January 2026 sought to obtain international legitimacy for the military-controlled state and to allow the parliament to install junta leader Min Aung Hlaing as president. The Japanese government had previously expressed serious concern about the elections, stating they would only invite more resistance from the people of Myanmar and make a peaceful resolution more difficult.

Human Rights Watch stated that the Japanese government should not resume new development assistance while the junta continues to commit widespread atrocities with impunity, represses the rights of Myanmar's people, and interferes with the delivery of humanitarian aid. The organisation called on Tokyo to instead increase pressure on the junta by working with other governments to tighten targeted sanctions against junta leaders and military-owned conglomerates.

Human Rights Watch stated that junta leaders should recognise that if they are genuinely concerned about the suffering of Myanmar's people, they need to immediately stop unlawful attacks on civilians, unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained, respect basic liberties, and allow the unfettered flow of humanitarian aid.

Fortify Rights urges United Kingdom to lead ICC referral coalition on Myanmar

Fortify Rights called on the United Kingdom on 29 June 2026 to lead a coalition of states in referring the full situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court under Article 14 of the Rome Statute. The organisation also urged new targeted sanctions on the junta and increased aid for refugees and displaced people, following testimony to the UK House of Commons International Development Committee on 23 June by Fortify Rights Chief Executive Officer Matthew Smith.

Smith stated that the United Kingdom could take a practical step right now to help prevent further atrocities in Myanmar by leading a coalition of ICC member states to refer the full situation in Myanmar to the ICC Prosecutor, adding that the junta should be denied the money, weapons, aviation fuel and impunity it needs to continue committing atrocities.

Smith testified alongside Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, and Kate Ferguson, Co-Executive Director of Protection Approaches, according to Fortify Rights. The organisation said no member of the junta has faced trial before the ICC or another prosecuting body for atrocity crimes despite extensive documentation by human rights organisations, including its own documentation of what it has described as genocide against the Rohingya and war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians nationwide.

Fortify Rights said the United Kingdom should not wait for consensus at the UN Security Council and should instead convene ICC States Parties across Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific. The organisation pointed to the response to recent invasion incident happened in Europe, when 43 ICC States Parties referred the situation to the court within weeks, as a model the United Kingdom helped build and should now replicate for Myanmar.

According to Fortify Rights, Conservative MP and former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt asked in a House of Commons debate on 10 June whether the government would consider invoking Article 14 to request an ICC investigation into Myanmar. Former UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tom Andrews had separately recommended an Article 14 referral in a March 2024 report to the UN Human Rights Council and repeated the call in his final accountability report on 27 April 2026, Fortify Rights said.

The National Unity Government lodged a declaration in July 2021 accepting the ICC's jurisdiction over crimes committed in the country since 2002, which the ICC confirmed receiving in February 2022. Fortify Rights said this declaration gives ICC member states a basis to refer Myanmar's situation to the court, and that it is the court's role, not member states', to determine the declaration's validity. The ICC has not opened a full investigation into ongoing atrocity crimes across Myanmar, though it is investigating crimes related to the forced deportation of Rohingya to Bangladesh in 2017, and the International Court of Justice is separately hearing a genocide case against Myanmar brought by The Gambia, in which the United Kingdom has intervened in support of The Gambia's claims.

Fortify Rights also called on the United Kingdom to impose new sanctions targeting military-controlled state-owned banks, suppliers of aviation fuel and arms to the junta, and military-linked businesses including telecommunications and natural-resource entities, coordinated with the European Union, United States, Canada and Australia. It urged the United Kingdom to push at the Security Council for a global arms embargo and a ban on aviation fuel transfers to the junta.

The organisation called on the United Kingdom to publicly oppose forced or premature returns and to increase flexible, multi-year funding for human rights defenders and documentation groups supporting accountability mechanisms, including the ICC and the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.

Fortify Rights said Myanmar is home to the world's longest-running civil war, with approximately 3.7 million people currently internally displaced in the country, while 5.3 million people from Myanmar are displaced overall.

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh calls for accountability over attacks on healthcare in Myanmar

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh called on 25 June 2026 for those responsible for attacks on healthcare workers, facilities and patients in Myanmar to be held accountable through international processes, warning that such attacks may amount to war crimes.

In its statement, the medical charity, which it describes as a multinational, multifaith body representing fellows and members working to improve medical practice and patient care worldwide, said it was particularly concerned by reports from non-governmental organisations and the media of attacks on medical facilities and personnel in Myanmar. The College stated that more than five years after the coup, attacks on communities, including airstrikes on villages and other civilian areas, continue to cause loss of life, displacement and suffering.

The College said the destruction of healthcare infrastructure and the intimidation of medical professionals have severely weakened Myanmar's health system, leaving many people without access to basic care. It stated that doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers provide care under extremely difficult circumstances and must be protected, adding that targeting medical services endangers healthcare staff while depriving vulnerable populations of lifesaving treatment.

The College said it shared concerns raised by international organisations that have warned attacks on civilians, healthcare facilities and other protected sites by the junta may constitute war crimes, and said it had zero tolerance for the persecution, intimidation or harassment of healthcare professionals.

The statement also condemned attempts by individuals to falsely claim association with any Medical Royal College to enhance their own credibility or legitimacy, saying such conduct is wholly incompatible with the values of the medical profession.

The College called on the international community not to turn away from what it described as the abhorrent weaponisation of healthcare in Myanmar, urging urgent action to protect civilians, safeguard healthcare services and ensure humanitarian access. It called for those responsible for violations of international law to be held accountable through established international processes.

The junta's continued destruction of medical facilities and intimidation of healthcare workers, in the midst of a health system already devastated by more than five years of conflict, constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law's protections for medical personnel and facilities and the civilians who depend on them.      

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Date: 30 June 2026

Permanent Mission of Myanmar, New York