During a sobering presentation to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk characterized Myanmar as a nation engulfed in conflict, oppression, and escalating hardship. Since the military takeover in February 2021, he reported that nearly 6,800 civilians have lost their lives, and over 22,000 individuals remain in arbitrary detention. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly, with nearly 22 million people requiring aid and more than 3.5 million displaced due to the ongoing violence.
“This report focuses on the aspirations of the people of Myanmar for a brighter future,” Mr. Türk stated. “In spite of immense obstacles, individuals from various sectors of society are working towards establishing a peaceful, sustainable, democratic, and diverse Myanmar, rooted in human rights.”
However, the crisis has intensified. Following an earthquake on March 28 that resulted in nearly 4,000 fatalities and left six million people in urgent need, the military has escalated its assaults rather than facilitating relief efforts, Mr. Türk noted. The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded over 600 military operations since the earthquake, with 94 percent occurring during designated ceasefires, frequently targeting schools, places of worship, and other protected areas.
The Rakhine state situation remains especially severe, as civilians, particularly the minority Rohingya Muslims, find themselves caught in the crossfire between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, a local armed group. Compounding this crisis, the military has continuously obstructed humanitarian access, exacerbating an already dire situation. Throughout Myanmar, economic disintegration and the collapse of public institutions have intensified the suffering. Nearly 80 percent of the population now lives below or just above the poverty threshold, with approximately 1.3 million having fled the country, many undertaking dangerous journeys by land and sea. In 2025 alone, one in five individuals attempting sea crossings in the region has been reported dead or missing.
The High Commissioner’s report outlined four essential pathways necessary for establishing a peaceful and democratic Myanmar: justice and accountability, democratic governance, economic reforms aimed at serving the populace, and sustained international engagement. Mr. Türk emphasized that accountability must begin with the release of all political prisoners and the prosecution of those responsible for serious human rights abuses. “It is crucial for the military to immediately cease the violence, ensure unrestricted humanitarian access, and free all those held arbitrarily,” he stated. “Amidst this upheaval, envisioning a future centered on human rights provides a glimmer of hope. We owe it to the people of Myanmar to turn that hope into reality.”
Moreover, millions have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the earthquakes that struck Myanmar in late March.
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, echoed the High Commissioner’s concerns, sounding the alarm over the decline in international humanitarian aid and the military’s oppressive actions. “The junta has opted to weaponize aid,” he informed the Council. “I have spoken with humanitarian workers who have been physically obstructed at checkpoints and have received reports of earthquake survivors being evicted from shelters with nowhere to go.” Mr. Andrews, an independent expert selected and mandated by the Human Rights Council, also cautioned that significant reductions in international funding have already had dire consequences. As of June 27, the $1.14 billion comprehensive humanitarian response plan for Myanmar is only 12 percent funded, while the $275 million addendum for earthquake relief is approximately 37 percent funded.
At a time when the people of Myanmar require increased support from the international community, they are receiving the opposite, Mr. Andrews stated, warning that the cost in human lives and suffering will likely worsen significantly. “This troubling trend raises the question – do human rights truly matter?” he asked. “If human rights are important, if saving the lives of children in Myanmar is a priority, why are so many governments hesitant to allocate even a modest amount of resources to save lives?”
