Edited News | OHCHR
“The crisis in Myanmar continues to sink into an abyss of human suffering. Entrenched in armed conflicts spreading the length and breadth of the country, the military continues to lose ground, exacting an ever-higher price along the way. Airstrikes and artillery – the military’s weapons of choice -- have killed scores of civilians in villages and Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps, violating international human rights and humanitarian law,” Al-Nashif told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“While not comparable in scale and scope to the military, some ethnic armed groups have also harmed civilians, at times seemingly deliberately . Recently, the Office issued another warning about the possible reoccurrence of atrocities against Rohingya caught between the ‘Arakan Army’ – which is forcing them to flee their homes -- and the military, leaving them nowhere safe to run,” she said.
In Rakhine, the situation continues to deteriorate, with intensified clashes killing more civilians, with desperately needed food and medical assistance almost entirely blocked.
Credible sources have verified a minimum of 5,600 civilians, including 1,160 women and 624 children, killed by the military since February 2021. Compounding the violence, the number of people forced to flee due to natural disasters continues to escalate daily.
As the economy plummets, essential commodities, to the extent they remain available, are becoming unaffordable for many. More than half the population now lives in poverty with the country’s GDP dropping 12 percent annually on average since the coup in 2021.
“Yet rather than addressing the needs of the people and mitigating the crisis, the military have doubled down on repression and restrictions on humanitarian operations, especially in conflict-affected areas,” the Deputy High Commissioner said.
After attempting to forcibly conscript civilians between 18 and 35, the military has announced its intention to arm civilians in local militias to defend territories which the military itself cannot. This risks leading to wider militarization and greater violence across the country.
Throughout the crisis, the people of Myanmar have consistently expressed their desire for democracy, the rule of law, and accountability, in the face of a military desperately trying to hold on to power by any means necessary, Al-Nashif noted.
“We remain very concerned by the possible use of the death penalty, with 167 people sentenced to death since the military coup,” Al-Nashif highlighted.
“Torture and ill-treatment, including multiple reports of sexual violence in detention – against women and LBGTI persons -- remain rampant in interrogation centers, prisons, and other detention sites. Interviewees describe being subjected to some of the most depraved treatment, including electrocution, asphyxiation, having insects and animals set upon them, and sexual torture. Perpetrators have been emboldened by long-standing impunity,” she added.
Continued exposure to violence and associated fear, have had a devastating impact on the mental health and well-being of victims and communities across Myanmar. The lack of adequate resources to provide mental health support has been further exacerbated by mental health professionals fleeing the country.
“This situation is not new. This crisis has been in a steady downward spiral for over three and half years. Every indicator across the country is tipping downwards. Despite this, there has been little focused international action to stem this tide of horror,” she said.
“There is an urgent need for political will and leadership at regional and international levels to demand, and achieve, a solution in the best interests of the people of Myanmar. It is imperative that Member States, notably those with influence, work together to bolster and support ASEAN members to resolve this crisis and bring an end to the violence in Myanmar,” she added.
“Our Office has proposed concrete ways to address key aspects of this self-perpetuating crisis. The flow of arms, other military material and aviation fuel that is powering the military’s campaign of violence against the civilian population must stop.The political process must be renewed, engaging equally with the National Unity Government, ethnic armed groups and the democracy movement to define future solutions for the country,” she stated.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact:
Ravina Shamdasani: +41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Jeremy Laurence: +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org
Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
STORY: Myanmar: Statement by UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif
TRT: 03:39
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 24 September 2024 – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC
Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital
UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.
2
1
2
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.
The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire
UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
A UN Human Rights report released today details the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained since Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine in 2022.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF
Sudan war: Life-saving cholera vaccination campaign begins in Darfur
Amid the devastating war in Sudan, UN aid teams are overcoming major obstacles to curb a cholera outbreak claiming lives across the country, with young children particularly at risk.
2
1
2
Edited News , B-roll | UN WOMEN
Women and girls still reeling from Afghanistan's recent deadly earthquake face even greater suffering rebuilding their lives and livelihoods without much more help from the international community, UN Women said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Rising civilian casualties, growing ethnic violence and the grim humanitarian situation in Sudan underscore how the crisis there is deepening, according to a UN Human rights report published today.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNITED NATIONS
United Nations agencies staff demonstrates on Place des Nations in Geneva to denounce the killing of their colleagues in Gaza.
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
The world’s water resources face growing pressure from climate change while emergencies related to the vital resource are increasingly impacting lives and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk addressed the Human Rights Council during a meeting on the Israeli strike on negotiators in Qatar on Tuesday. “Israel’s strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the world,” he said.