UN Investigators Highlight Systematic Abuses in Myanmar Conflict
UN investigators have reported escalating atrocities in Myanmar, including targeted attacks on civilians, torture, and sexual violence, as the conflict intensifies.
Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, emphasizing that civilians are increasingly becoming the targets of military operations.
Recent airstrikes in northern Shan state, which reportedly killed about a dozen people, including a pregnant woman and two children, illustrate this alarming trend. Koumjian noted that the IIMM has received numerous testimonies detailing horrific abuses in detention, including torture methods such as electric shocks and sexual assault. Disturbingly, minors and victims of all genders have been subjected to gang rape and other violent sexual crimes.
The situation is particularly dire for the Rohingya community in Rakhine state, who are again facing violence and displacement. Following a brutal military crackdown in 2017 that forced nearly 750,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, they are now caught in the crossfire between the military and the Arakan Army. Koumjian cited a recent drone attack on fleeing Rohingyas, resulting in numerous civilian casualties, including women and children.
Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar’s security landscape has deteriorated, with thousands killed and millions displaced. The UN estimates that over 3 million people have been forced from their homes, while many more have sought refuge abroad.
Koumjian affirmed the IIMM’s commitment to pursuing justice, stating, “We will follow the evidence wherever it leads.” Despite challenges in accessing crime scenes within Myanmar, the IIMM is dedicated to holding perpetrators accountable for these grave violations of international law.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar was created by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 and became operational in August 2019.
