Entire villages burned, children bombed in schools, and mass executions of civilians—Myanmar’s military has unleashed unprecedented terror on its people. With over 3.2 million displaced and thousands killed, the crisis demands urgent global intervention.
BY PC Bureau
Since the February 2021 coup, Myanmar has descended into a brutal conflict, with the military junta unleashing a reign of terror upon the civilian population. At least 5,350 civilians have been killed by the military, while millions have been displaced and countless others live in fear, according to Human Right Watch World report, 2025. \
The Myanmar junta has escalated its brutal “scorched earth” campaign against civilians in response to growing armed resistance and territorial losses. The military’s atrocities since the February 2021 coup constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, driven by decades of impunity. Ethnic Rohingya are currently facing their gravest threat since the military’s 2017 genocidal campaign. Refugees are increasingly fleeing to neighboring countries and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Mass Killings and Military Atrocities
Since October 2023, as fighting intensified across Myanmar following the opposition’s launch of Operation 1027, junta forces have expanded aerial and artillery assaults, directly targeting civilians. These attacks have occurred in all 14 states and regions.
The military has bombed schools, hospitals, religious sites, and camps for displaced people. On January 7, a military airstrike on Kanan village in Sagaing Region killed 17 civilians, including nine children, who were attending church. On February 5, an airstrike on a school in Daw Se Ei village, Karenni State, killed four students and injured 27 civilians.
📢 4 years since Myanmar’s coup 🇲🇲
On 1 Feb 2025, we mark 4 years since the junta seized power, dismantling democracy. Thousands killed, millions displaced, oppression persists.
The fight for democracy continues. #Workers4Myanmar ✊
Learn more: https://t.co/ERMJTrsRM9 pic.twitter.com/f9GthtwMaX
— ITUC-Asia Pacific (@itucasiapacific) January 27, 2025
“The junta has carried out widespread extrajudicial killings. On May 29, soldiers rounded up hundreds of villagers in Byain Phyu in central Rakhine State and separated the men and women. Residents were interrogated and tortured; some were shot. The military reportedly killed between 48 and 76 villagers, including five women who were also raped. In August, two journalists were killed during a military raid in Mon State,” the report said.
On September 5, the junta bombed an internally displaced persons’ camp in Pekon Township on the Shan-Karenni State border, killing eight children and two women. Such attacks on education and grave violations against children have sharply increased.
ALSO READ: Myanmar Military Killed 478 Women in 2024
The military has carried out mass extrajudicial killings. On May 29, soldiers rounded up villagers in Byain Phyu, Rakhine State, separating men from women. Survivors reported interrogations, torture, and executions. “Between 48 and 76 villagers were killed, including five women who were raped before being murdered.”
On August 5, drone strikes and shelling on civilians fleeing Maungdaw town reportedly killed around 180 people.
In August, two journalists were killed during a military raid in Mon State. More than 1,900 detainees have died in junta custody since 2021, though actual numbers are likely higher due to unreported deaths from torture and mistreatment.
Since 2022, Myanmar has deployed domestically produced air-dropped cluster munitions—indiscriminate weapons that are banned internationally. Airstrikes using cluster bombs were documented in Rakhine State (January 2024), Chin State (April), and Mandalay Region (August).
Myanmar recorded the highest landmine casualties globally in 2023. In the first nine months of 2024 alone, 889 civilian casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war were recorded, including 245 children.
The military has also engaged in mass arson, burning over 100,000 homes from May 2021 to August 2024, primarily in Sagaing Region.
Forced Conscription and Repression
On February 10, 2024, facing depleted troop numbers, the junta activated its mandatory conscription law, drafting men aged 18–35 and women aged 18–27 for up to five years. Conscripts have been used as human shields and porters on the front lines. The junta has also forcibly recruited over 1,100 children since 2023. In August, men aged 35–65 were ordered to join new “people’s security and counterterrorism teams.”
The junta has launched mass arrests, with at least 27,500 people detained since the coup, including over 5,700 women and 570 children. More than 125 detainees have been sentenced to death, and an additional 44 sentenced in absentia.
📢 4 years since Myanmar’s coup 🇲🇲
On 1 Feb 2025, we mark 4 years since the junta seized power, dismantling democracy. Thousands killed, millions displaced, oppression persists.
The fight for democracy continues. #Workers4Myanmar ✊
Learn more: https://t.co/ERMJTrsRM9 pic.twitter.com/f9GthtwMaX
— ITUC-Asia Pacific (@itucasiapacific) January 27, 2025
In July, the junta extended its “state of emergency” for an additional six months to prepare for the sham elections scheduled for November 2025. In October, the junta launched a nationwide census with an extensive list of 68 questions that appear designed to root out opposition activists and eligible military recruits. In a similar surveillance effort, the junta in May began requiring all individuals to obtain biometric e-IDs in order to leave the country,” the report said.
More than 1,800 people have been imprisoned for online activity—including “liking” anti-military social media posts.
Persecution of Rohingya and Mass Displacement
Approximately 630,000 Rohingya remain trapped in Rakhine State under conditions of apartheid. 150,000 are confined in detention camps, while junta-imposed movement restrictions and aid blockages have left many without food or medical care.
The conflict between the junta, the Arakan Army, and Rohingya armed groups has displaced 380,000 people in Rakhine and Chin States since November 2023. Tens of thousands have fled to Bangladesh, though many have been forcibly pushed back. Since January 2023, more than 11,000 Rohingya have attempted perilous sea journeys, with at least 800 reported dead or missing.
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Sexual violence has intensified as a weapon of war. Military forces have subjected civilians to rape, gang rape, sexualized torture, mutilation, and forced nudity.
In Sagaing Region, the junta’s infamous “ogre column” unit has abducted, beheaded, maimed, and raped women.
Reports indicate systematic rape with objects, electrocution of genitals, and forced nudity in detention centers. Domestic violence has risen sharply, with little access to legal protection or survivor services.
Humanitarian Blockages and Starvation Tactics
The junta continues to weaponize humanitarian aid as a tool of collective punishment. From January to June 2024, humanitarian organizations documented 682 incidents impeding aid deliveries.
Since the coup, 3.2 million people have been displaced, including 1.8 million since October 2023. Most are living in makeshift shelters with limited access to food, water, or healthcare.
During severe flooding in September—affecting an estimated 1 million people and killing hundreds—the junta obstructed emergency response efforts by blocking road access, suspending telecommunications, and restricting aid supplies.
An estimated 18.6 million people, including 6 million children, now require humanitarian assistance amid economic collapse and infrastructure failure.
International Justice Efforts
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s commander-in-chief, Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, for crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya in 2017.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is proceeding with Gambia’s genocide case against Myanmar, with increasing international support. Meanwhile, an Argentine prosecutor requested arrest warrants for 25 Myanmar officials under the principle of universal jurisdiction in June 2024.
Despite international sanctions, the junta continues to secure foreign revenue and military supplies by evading restrictions.
Myanmar’s military has escalated its reign of terror with unchecked brutality, killing tens of thousands and committing mass atrocities. The international community’s failure to hold the junta accountable has emboldened its campaign of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
