“Every day, the folks of Myanmar are enduring horrifying assaults, flagrant human rights violations and the crumbling of their livelihoods and hopes,” mentioned Volker Türk, UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights.
He was briefing the Human Rights Council – the UN’s main physique for the safety and promotion of rights globally, together with findings since his July report was issued.
Junta’s ruthless repression
Mr. Türk emphasised the army’s blatant disregard for basic rules of humanity in addition to the Safety Council’s repeated calls for for a direct cessation of hostilities and unhindered humanitarian entry.
“We’re confronted right here with a system of ruthless repression designed to coerce and subjugate its folks and to erode a society in order that the predatory pursuits of the army are preserved,” he mentioned.
“Mindless army assaults are exacerbating the human rights disaster with interconnected humanitarian, political, and financial impacts, imposing an insufferable toll on the folks in Myanmar.”
Muzzling free press
He additionally voiced considerations over the army’s denial of humanitarian entry to these affected by Cyclone Mocha in Might, significantly in Rakhine state, the place widowed Rohingya girls have reportedly been compelled to beg for meals.
The army additionally threatened authorized motion towards anybody reporting a distinct loss of life toll from the large catastrophe to the junta’s official determine of 116 deaths.
On this context, a photojournalist was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment by a army for protecting the post-cyclone scenario in Rakhine, the largest sentence handed right down to a journalist because the 2021 coup.
Reliance on overseas sources
Mr. Türk pointed to a few particular army ways employed towards civilians: airstrikes, mass killings, and the burning of villages.
Between April 2022 and Might 2023, the army performed 687 airstrikes, greater than double the quantity within the previous 14 months.
The report corroborated information confirming that the elevated use of air energy, together with heavy weaponry, army {hardware} and aviation gas, “can solely be bought from overseas sources”, the rights chief mentioned.
‘Inhumanity in its vilest type’
Mr. Türk additional reported that floor operations resulted in 22 documented mass killings – involving the homicide of ten or extra people. Witnesses described troopers utilizing horrific strategies to inflicting ache on civilians, together with burning alive, beheading, dismemberment, rape and extra.
“That is inhumanity in its vilest type,” the Excessive Commissioner mentioned, stating that total villages had been set ablaze, resulting in the destruction of over 75,000 constructions, driving displacement and rising humanitarian wants.
Civilian rule has vanished
“Civilian rule of regulation in Myanmar has vanished, with the army intentionally eroding the foundations of governance and justice within the nation,” Mr. Türk mentioned, urging the Safety Council to refer the scenario to the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC).
Based on credible sources, 24,836 folks have been arrested, 19,264 are nonetheless detained, and 150 have been sentenced to loss of life by military-controlled courts that lack any independence or adherence to due course of or truthful trial rights.
