The United Nations raised alarm on Tuesday over the worsening human rights crisis in Myanmar, detailing accounts of severe torture and an escalating breakdown of law and order across the country.
"Myanmar is plumbing the depths of the human rights abyss," said James Rodehaver, head of the UN Human Rights Office's Myanmar team. Speaking in Geneva, Rodehaver highlighted the findings of the office’s latest report, which exposed "massive regressions in human rights" due to the absence of the rule of law.
"Myanmar’s military has orchestrated the crisis by weaponizing the legal system, criminalizing nearly all forms of dissent against its efforts to govern the country," he stated.
The Southeast Asian nation has been mired in conflict since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in a coup in 2021. The junta has faced resistance from ethnic rebel groups and pro-democracy forces, leading to widespread violence.
According to the UN report, since the coup, at least 5,350 civilians have been killed, over 3.3 million people displaced, and nearly 27,400 arrested. "Credible sources indicate that at least 1,853 people have died in custody, including 88 children and 125 women," UN rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell told reporters.
Rodehaver pointed out that the situation had significantly deteriorated since the last report 15 months ago, with mass arrests continuing and conditions in detention centers described as "horrific." He expressed deep concern over the prevalence of torture and inhumane treatment.
"Detainees have shared harrowing accounts of being suspended from the ceiling without food or water, forced to kneel on sharp objects, and subjected to the introduction of animals such as snakes or insects to instill fear," Rodehaver said. He added that others reported brutal beatings with iron poles, bamboo sticks, and motorcycle chains, along with electrocution and burning.
Rodehaver condemned the use of "some of the most depraved methods of torture" in Myanmar’s detention centers, which also included reports of sexual violence against both male and female detainees.
The UN rights office stressed the need for accountability, warning that impunity for such abuses was fueling ongoing violations. Throssell reiterated UN rights chief Volker Turk’s call for the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.
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