TGR
Dispatches from the Field — The Genocide Report
Washington, DC — 8 July 2025
Since the February 2021 military coup, Myanmar has been engulfed in a multifaceted humanitarian and human rights crisis. The State Administration Council (SAC) has systematically targeted civilians, ethnic minorities, and opposition groups through mass killings, torture, forced displacement, and digital repression. Access to food, healthcare, and basic services has been severely restricted, and entire communities live under constant threat of violence. Despite international condemnation, limited humanitarian aid, and obstructed accountability mechanisms, the crisis continues to escalate, leaving millions in urgent need of protection and relief.
Myanmar is facing a profound and escalating humanitarian crisis. Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, the country has plunged into violence and instability, marked by mass killings, torture, sexual violence, forced displacement, and systematic repression of dissent. The junta, officially known as the State Administration Council (SAC), has waged a relentless campaign of terror against civilians, opposition figures, and ethnic minorities. These ongoing atrocities highlight the urgent need for international intervention and accountability.
The nation’s fragile democratic transition, led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), was abruptly dismantled by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. Alleging voter fraud, the junta arrested key civilian leaders and seized control over all branches of government. Millions of citizens responded with widespread protests and a mass civil disobedience movement, challenging the military’s illegitimate rule.
Escalating Violence and Civilian Suffering
SAC operations continue to inflict immense suffering, particularly on women and children. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), at least 25,000 people have been arrested and more than 6,231 civilians killed, including 1,144 women and 709 children. In 2024 alone, 1,824 civilians lost their lives, marking the deadliest year since the coup.
Torture remains pervasive. Detainees report forced confessions, mock executions, beatings with iron poles, bamboo sticks, batons, rifle butts, leather straps, electric wires, and chains. Methods include waterboarding, asphyxiation, electrocution, and burning with tasers, lighters, cigarettes, or boiling water. Political prisoners are frequently detained without charge, denied legal representation, and tried in opaque military tribunals. Many die in custody or are executed, with bodies returned to families showing evidence of severe abuse.
Peaceful protests are met with lethal force, including sniper fire, indiscriminate shootings, and the use of military-grade weapons. Soldiers drag civilians from their homes, beat detainees, and shoot demonstrators at point-blank range. Entire towns and villages have been destroyed through so-called “clearance operations,” a term now synonymous with collective punishment and a documented war crime.
Airstrikes and Indiscriminate Bombings
The SAC has increasingly employed airstrikes against civilian populations. Fighter jets and helicopter gunships have targeted schools, hospitals, and displacement camps. In April 2023, an airstrike in Sagaing Region killed over 170 people, including women and children, at a community gathering. These attacks lack clear military objectives, suggesting their primary intent is to instill fear and suppress resistance movements.
Digital Repression and Information Control
Myanmar’s junta has also waged a campaign of digital authoritarianism. A Cybersecurity Law enacted in January 2025 banned unauthorized VPNs and expanded state surveillance, enabling suppression of dissent and curtailing access to independent information. Biometric e-ID requirements for international travel and a nationwide census are used to identify opposition activists and potential recruits.
The military controls the narrative through extensive media repression: social media is blocked, independent outlets shuttered, and journalists arrested. Thousands of activists face detention for online posts critical of the regime. Myanmar is now among the most dangerous countries for journalists, forcing many to flee or operate underground. These information controls, amplifies fear, hinders humanitarian reporting, and obstructs accountability.
Economic Exploitation and Organized Crime
Myanmar’s economic collapse has fueled corruption and organized crime. The country is the world’s largest opium producer and a major manufacturer of synthetic drugs. Scam centers in eastern Myanmar engage in human trafficking, coercion into cybercrime, and sexual exploitation.
Collaboration between the junta and the Chinese-backed United Wa State Army (UWSA) has led to new rare earth mining operations in Shan State, raising concerns about foreign exploitation of Myanmar’s natural resources amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
International Response and Accountability
The United Nations has warned that Myanmar risks self-destruction if violence continues. Proposed elections by the junta have been widely denounced as illegitimate, with opposition parties banned or boycotting the process. Analysts caution that such elections could deepen instability without meaningful reforms or an end to violence.
Humanitarian aid delivery remains slow and frequently obstructed by the military, leaving vulnerable populations without essential relief. Human rights organizations, including The Genocide Report, have called for arms embargoes, targeted sanctions, and ICC referrals to hold military leaders accountable. While some sanctions exist, key actors such as Russia and China continue to shield the junta at the UN.
In November 2024, the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Senior General Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity, including deportation and persecution of the Rohingya between August and December 2017. The UN and human rights organizations continue to call for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained individuals.
Atrocity Prevention Lens
Myanmar exemplifies how unchecked military power, combined with weak institutions, creates conditions for mass atrocities. The junta’s use of lethal force, torture, displacement, and information suppression underscores the need for early warning systems, monitoring, and international pressure to prevent further civilian harm. Coordinated diplomatic, economic, and legal interventions are essential to disrupt cycles of violence and protect vulnerable populations.
Legal Framework
International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
IHL protects civilians during conflict, prohibiting violence, forced displacement, and attacks on essential services. Parties controlling territory must ensure access to food, water, shelter, and medical care, as outlined in the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols.
Human Rights Law
Myanmar’s crisis engages core human rights protections, including the rights to life, security, freedom of expression, and protection from torture, arbitrary detention, and sexual violence, as enshrined in international treaties and customary law. Systematic violations by the SAC may constitute crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.
UN and International Oversight
The UN, ICC, ICRC, and other humanitarian actors are mandated to support vulnerable populations. International bodies can use monitoring, reporting, sanctions, and accountability mechanisms to pressure responsible actors while delivering life-saving assistance.
Suggested Citation
TGR. “Myanmar’s Humanitarian Catastrophe.” Dispatches from the Field. The Genocide Report, Washington, DC, 8 July 2025.
Photo credit
Military junta’s attacks on desecration of Sacred Sites 3.3.2024 by MPATV. Licensed under CC BY 3.0
About TGR
The Genocide Report (TGR) publishes analysis and educational resources on conflict, international law, and atrocity prevention. Its work seeks to bridge academic research, field realities, and public understanding of mass violence and civilian protection.