UN says Myanmar's human rights crisis hits unprecedented low amid widespread abuse

A United Nations human rights office briefing on Tuesday warned that Myanmar’s civilian population is enduring the worst conditions recorded to date, driven by the military’s quest for legitimacy after the 2021 coup. The junta’s tactics—airstrikes, arson, forced displacement and denial of aid—have contributed to at least 8,075 civilian deaths, though other estimates put the figure at up to 15,731, including over a thousand children.

The violence has forced 3.6 million people from their homes and left 12.4 million in acute hunger, with 400,000 children and mothers suffering severe malnutrition. In western Rakhine State, both the military and the Arakan Army continue systematic violations against the Rohingya, including arbitrary arrests, torture and forced labour. Illegal rare-earth mining in northern Kachin and northeastern Shan has surged, creating a thriving illicit economy and contaminating the environment, which the UN links to rising miscarriages and reproductive health problems. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called the findings “deeply troubling” and urged states, companies and investors to reconsider their involvement with Myanmar.