Ekhbary News Agency | 2024-05-15
The United Nations confirms that Myanmar's military was responsible for more than 700 civilian deaths during a six-month election period last year, a process widely dismissed as a sham. A recent report from the UN's Human Rights Office, covering August to January, verified a minimum of 702 people killed, including 224 women and 153 children, a truly grim tally.
Escalating Violence and Dwindling Aid
The report spans the six months following the military's announcement of elections, five years after their coup, a process largely derided due to the exclusion of main opposition parties. It warns that a decline in international assistance is compounding the suffering of millions in a nation embroiled in civil war since the 2021 coup. Large areas remain under the control of armed opposition groups, and air strikes persist as the single largest cause of destruction and suffering. It appears the international community's focus has waned.
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Sagaing Casualties and Rohingya Abuse
Sagaing region proved the most dangerous for civilians, with 191 deaths, including 60 women and 30 children, as the military pressed to gain ground. In October, 23 people, including four children, were killed and over 60 wounded when munitions struck civilians gathered in front of a school in Chaung-U. The report also references abuse of Rohingya people, exposed to forced recruitment by the Arakan Army, killings, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk lamented that the people of Myanmar have seemingly been forgotten by those outside the country.
