According to a new UN Human Rights report released in Geneva, the human rights situation in Myanmar has plummeted to a new low, driven by brutal abuses against the Rohingya population and the devastating expansion of illicit economies like illegal rare earth mining between June 2025 and May 2026. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that the military’s persistent quest for control has deepened civilian suffering, while UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews noted that the junta has weaponized aid following a massive earthquake.
Military Control, Surveillance, and Civilian Casualties
Military tactics aimed at imposing fear and control rely heavily on new surveillance technologies that permeate daily life, according to the UN Human Rights report. The military persists in using airstrikes, arson attacks, displacement, and the denial of humanitarian assistance against the civilian population. In a related briefing to the Human Rights Council, High Commissioner Volker Türk reported that nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained since the February 2021 military coup.
Humanitarian needs have soared across the country, with nearly 22 million people requiring assistance and more than 3.5 million displaced by the ongoing conflict, according to Türk. Following a destructive 28 March earthquake that killed nearly 4,000 people and left six million in urgent need of help, the military intensified its attacks rather than facilitating relief operations. The UN human rights office documented more than 600 military strikes since the quake, with 94 percent occurring during supposed ceasefires, frequently targeting schools and religious sites.
Did you know? As of late June, the $1.14 billion comprehensive humanitarian response plan for Myanmar is only 12 percent funded, while the $275 million addendum for earthquake relief sits at roughly 37 percent funding, according to UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews.
Systematic Abuses in Rakhine State
In northern Rakhine state, both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army have committed widespread and systematic violations against the Rohingya minority, nine years after the violence of 2017 forced hundreds of thousands to flee. The UN report details that the Arakan Army has perpetrated arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, enforced disappearances, forced labor, unlawful property confiscations, and the destruction of villages and religious sites.
Children are systematically used for labor, with witnesses telling investigators that workers as young as six years old clear jungles and construct buildings. In one documented case, a child was forced to clear the bones and skulls of massacre victims. Detained Rohingya trying to escape forced recruitment face severe ill-treatment, including beatings with bamboo and rubber pipes, cigarette burns, being hung upside down, and having chili applied to their genitals. To avoid forced recruitment, some Rohingya girls have resorted to early marriage.
Illicit Economies and Illegal Rare Earth Mining
The total absence of the rule of law across Myanmar has enabled illicit economies to finance the ongoing conflict, according to the UN findings. The crisis is compounded by rising illegal drug production, human trafficking, scam centers, and a labor market easily exploited by criminal organizations. Unregulated natural resources extraction has severely damaged ecosystems, particularly in minority regions like Kachin and Shan states.
Satellite imagery confirms that Kachin remains the primary mining area, seeing 302 new rare earth mining sites since 2021—representing a 149 percent increase. In Shan state, sites grew from 12 pre-coup to 85 post-coup. Official records indicate trade flows peaked at $1.4 billion in 2023. Massive volumes of toxic chemical leaching agents and mining runoff flow directly into waterways, causing severe transboundary pollution. Local documentation efforts link this contamination to sharp surges in miscarriages, severe bleeding during pregnancy, and other reproductive health complications.
Pathways to Peace and Accountability
To lay the groundwork for a transition toward a peaceful and democratic Myanmar, High Commissioner Volker Türk outlined four key pathways: justice and accountability, democratic governance, economic reform that serves the people, and sustained international engagement. Accountability must start with the release of all political prisoners and the prosecution of individuals responsible for grave violations, according to the UN.
“I call on all States, companies and investors to undertake serious soul-searching with respect to their actions – or inaction,” Türk said, urging them to consider the human and environmental costs. Meanwhile, Tom Andrews warned that international funding cuts will cause suffering to worsen significantly unless donors step up support.
Frequently Asked Questions
What period does the UN Human Rights report cover?
The report covers the period between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026.
How many people are displaced in Myanmar due to the conflict?
According to UN figures, more than 3.5 million people remain displaced by the conflict.
Which regions are the primary hubs for illegal rare earth mining?
What are the primary recommendations outlined by the UN High Commissioner?
The High Commissioner outlined four pathways: justice and accountability, democratic governance, economic reform, and sustained international engagement.
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