Due to insecurity, a large number of Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Türk, speaking today in Geneva for an interactive dialogue on the human rights situation in Myanmar, said the Myanmar military cannot be expected to make fundamental changes and break the impunity that has characterized its actions for decades. The international community therefore also shoulders its responsibility to protect the civilian population on the ground while restoring conditions conducive to peace and stability.
Since the military coup d'état in February 2021, OHCHR has reported on the human rights situation in the country at every regular session of the Human Rights Council. On September 26, Türk submitted his eighth report on the subject, concluding that from April 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023, the Myanmar military further expanded its attacks on civilians and "the overall human rights situation in Myanmar has further deteriorated."
Türk stressed that relentless military attacks are exacerbating the human rights crisis, with interrelated humanitarian, political and economic impacts and unbearable losses for the people of Myanmar.
He specifically noted that the Myanmar military systematically uses three military tactics against civilians: airstrikes, indiscriminate killings and burning of villages.
The number of air strikes increased dramatically
During the reporting period, the military carried out 687 air strikes, more than double the number in the first 14 months after the coup. Other credible sources confirmed that at least 4,108 people had died at the hands of the military and its affiliates as of 25 September.
The data confirmed by the report indicate that the military is increasingly using air power, as well as heavy weapons and other materials, which can only be purchased from foreign sources. In this context, Türk welcomes recent measures specifically designed to restrict Myanmar's purchase of jet fuel, which could be used for military purposes.
"The most despicable and inhumane act"
The report also documented 22 indiscriminate killings by the Myanmar military's ground operations, killing at least 10 people. Testimonies also indicate that in many of these operations, soldiers entered villages, rounded up those who did not flee and executed them.
The soldiers allegedly inflicted unimaginable suffering on the victims using horrific tactics, including burning them alive, dismembering, raping, beheading, attacking them with sticks and using abducted villagers as shields against attacks and landmines.
Türk said: "This is the most despicable and inhumane act. ”
Civilian infrastructure was destroyed
The report also notes that the military's burning of entire villages and civilian infrastructure, particularly in the central region of Sagaing province, continues to terrorize the population. The destruction of more than 75,000 buildings, including homes, food storage facilities, seed banks and livestock sheds, has not only exacerbated the ongoing displacement crisis, but also significantly increased humanitarian and protection needs, including those of high-risk groups such as women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Türk also said violence by anti-military armed groups persisted, including targeted killings and bombings in public places.
He stressed that while the scale of these violations cannot be compared to what the Myanmar military has done, groups opposed to the military must also fully respect international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as the principles of the protection of civilians.
The rule of law in civil service has declined
Türk also noted that the civilian rule of law in Myanmar has been lost because the military is deliberately eroding the country's governance and judicial foundations.
Reliable sources report that a total of 24,836 people have been arrested, 19,264 remain in detention, and 150 have been sentenced to death by military-controlled courts. These courts do not have any independence and do not follow due process or fair trial rights.
In addition, more than 7,368 people were convicted in special trials, while most trials lasted only a few minutes and without defense lawyers. So far, only one accused is known to have been acquitted, but this has also led to the removal of judges who ruled in favour of the accused.
OCHA/Pierre Lorioux
In a camp for internally displaced persons in Myanmar's Rakhine State, people repair temporary shelters damaged by Cyclone Mocha.
Denial of humanitarian access
Türk also stressed that the denial of humanitarian access by the Myanmar military throughout the country is having serious consequences for people's right to food. The military continues to impose restrictions on humanitarian access, especially after the devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha in May; This clearly shows "how the military puts its own political interests above the well-being of people in desperate need of life-saving assistance".
In hardest-hit Rakhine State, Rohingya families and members of other displaced communities have been unable to feed their children; Widowed Rohingya women are forced to beg for food, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
The Rohingya problem continues
Moreover, since March, the military has been aiming to return thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Rakhine State by the end of the year, but it is clear that "safe, dignified and sustainable conditions for return" are not yet in place.
Notably, the military has also done nothing to address the root causes of gross discrimination and other abuses, as well as the citizenship of the Rohingya, and its inability to ensure service delivery or guarantee free movement.
In addition, the military has maintained its official toll of 116 deaths from Cyclone Mocha and continues to threaten legal action against anyone who reports dissenting figures. On September 6, a military court sentenced a photojournalist to 20 years in prison for covering the situation in Rakhine State following the passage of the cyclone, the highest sentence imposed on a journalist since the coup.
The Myanmar military ignores the international community
Türk specifically noted that although the Myanmar military agreed to the terms of ASEAN's "five-point consensus", it has been ignoring this initiative aimed at restoring stability to Myanmar; Similarly, the military has failed to comply with Security Council Resolution 2669, adopted in December 2022, and its demands for an immediate cessation of violence and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.
He stressed that "there is an urgent need for new thinking on Myanmar to put an end to this unspeakable tragedy".
All parties need to respond collectively
In this regard, Türk welcomed ASEAN's recent decision to try a new response. He believes that through the introduction of the "troika" mechanism, the ASEAN chairmanship and his special envoy on Myanmar can receive support.
He also reiterated his call on all States and other influential actors to support efforts to de-escalate the crisis and to ensure that all vulnerable people in Myanmar are able to exercise their fundamental rights while receiving all necessary assistance.
He equally urges all actors to ensure prompt and transparent investigations into allegations of violations of the human rights of civilians and to hold perpetrators accountable; At the same time, the international community needs to redouble its international accountability initiatives.
Türk concluded by saying that, given the gravity of the situation on the ground and the persistence of impunity, "I reiterate my call on the Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court for investigation".