Myanmar army killed over 700 civilians in six months, UN says
The UN Human Rights Office has released new figures that show more than 700 civilians lost their lives in Myanmar between August 2024 and January 2025. The numbers include 702 confirmed deaths, among them 224 women and 153 children.
The six‑month report covers the period when the military announced elections, a process widely viewed as a sham because opposition parties were barred from participating and large areas of the country were inaccessible due to active conflict.
Air strikes are identified as the single largest source of destruction and victimisation, with the Sagaing region becoming the most dangerous for civilians. In that area 191 people died, 60 of them women and 30 children. The report details a bombing of a school in Chaung‑U that killed 23 people, including 4 children, and an air raid on a tea shop in Tabayin on 9 December that claimed at least 19 lives and wounded 20 others.
The military’s operations continue to target civilians, forcing many to flee and damaging local economies. The report warns that declines in international assistance are exacerbating the misery faced by millions of people living under ongoing hostilities.
In addition to civilian casualties, the report describes the abuse of Rohingya displaced people who have been subjected to forced recruitment, killings, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence by national and local forces.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk described the situation as one of continuous suffering that appears to be forgotten by the global community. He added that reductions in funding for local protection efforts only worsen the suffering caused by the pervasive attacks by the military.
The context of these figures is the broader civil war that started when the military seized power in 2021, jailing democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking ongoing violent conflict. The military’s campaign, which included forced conscription and drone strikes, has taken advantage of an environment where larger opposition groups still control considerable regions.
The new presidential term, which began in April, came after the military leader Min Aung Hlaing was installed as president following the coup. The election that followed was widely considered a foregone conclusion, with major parties banned, the parliament dominated by loyalists, and the military controlling a quarter of the seats, while the governing party secured a vast majority of the remaining representatives.
The UN report calls for renewed international scrutiny and support to protect civilians and restore a coherent governance structure in Myanmar. The article on the BBC reports additional details and evolving developments in the region.
