Nicolas Koumjian, head of Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), told the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly that “the frequency and severity of international crimes in Myanmar have intensified.”
Warning that civilians of all ethnicities are bearing the brunt, he said: “We have gathered evidence that those detained by military authorities have been tortured and subjected to various forms of sexual violence. »
“We have evidence of the identity of the perpetrators and their commanders.”
Koumjian added that his team also documented summary executions and attacks on schools, hospitals and places of worship, with the army increasingly relying on airstrikes.
He noted that in Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army (an armed ethnic group fighting against Myanmar’s military junta) has seized most of the territory, the military’s brutal response has left civilians destitute and hungry.
“[We are] “to gather evidence of several alleged atrocities, including drone attacks targeting civilians, executions, rapes, torture and the obstruction of humanitarian aid to a population facing starvation,” he said.
In Mandalay, a teacher stands amid the ruins of the classroom where he once taught English and science, now destroyed by March’s earthquakes.
An invisible crisis
Tom Andrews, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, said the situation has worsened significantly, with almost 22 million people now in need of assistance and 16.7 million facing acute food insecurity.
The March earthquakes in central Myanmar left around 200,000 people homeless, damaged 157,000 buildings and caused losses estimated at $11 billion.
“The military junta has turned this natural disaster into a humanitarian catastrophe,” Mr Andrews said. “They systematically blocked the delivery of humanitarian aid, harassed and threatened aid workers, looted homes and medical supplies, and forcibly conscripted young people into the army. »
Airstrikes against civilian targets increased in the aftermath, surpassing pre-earthquake levels. The health system has also been targeted, with 169 attacks on medical facilities and personnel in the first eight months of 2025, while food shortages in central Rakhine state have sharply worsened, leaving 58 percent of families unable to meet their basic needs.
“The crisis is getting worse every day,” he warned. “This is not just a national tragedy; it affects the entire region and beyond. »
Lack of funds jeopardizes efforts
Mr. Koumjian also warned that a funding gap could soon force the Mechanism to lose a third of its staff – including experts on gender-based crimes and crimes against children – undermining accountability efforts.
“Securing justice for crimes committed in Myanmar sends an important message,” he said, “that the international community will not stand idly by when civilians are targeted and international law is ignored.”
A general view shows a camp for displaced people in eastern Myanmar.
“Time passes”
Julie Bishop, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Myanmar, echoed these concerns, calling for renewed diplomatic engagement as “time passes.”
She described a “deeply worrying trend of indiscriminate attacks on civilians” and said planned elections in Myanmar risk “escalating violence and instability,” with opposition groups viewing them as illegitimate.
She warned that those supporting these elections “should consider the potential consequences…no election should put human lives at risk.”
Independent experts
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the country are both mandated by the UN. Human Rights Council to monitor abuse and demand accountability.
The IIMM is responsible for collecting and preserving evidence of international crimes for future legal proceedings.
The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert, not a UN staff member, who reports impartially on the human rights situation.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
