Myanmar at ‘Crossroads’, UN Expert Warns World

People in Myanmar organize a vigil in the days after the military coup in 2021. (file photo)

More than five years after the military coup in Myanmar, international efforts to hold the ruling junta accountable must not weaken, an independent human rights expert warned on Friday, as escalating violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis push millions of civilians deeper into hardship.

Presenting his final report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, outgoing Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar Tom Andrews urged governments to renew efforts to protect civilians and support the country’s struggling population.

“The current geopolitical climate is less than conducive to advancing human rights in Myanmar and beyond,” he said. “The United Nations and the principles on which it was founded more than 80 years ago are under severe strain.”

Andrews, who serves as an independent expert mandated by the council and is not a UN staff member, warned that declining international pressure and shrinking humanitarian funding could have devastating consequences for people already facing widespread violence and deprivation.

“Actions by the international community to weaken the military junta’s ability to sustain itself and carry out attacks against the people of Myanmar have shown promise,” he said. “Alarmingly, however, there are signs that the resolve of governments is waning.”

Human toll of the coup

Myanmar has been engulfed in conflict since the military seized power in February 2021, overthrowing the civilian government and arresting top leaders including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

The coup triggered nationwide protests and the emergence of armed resistance movements that now control large areas of the fractured country.

Violence against civilians has intensified sharply. There were nine airstrikes on civilian targets in 2021, compared with 1,140 last year, according to UN figures.

More than 100,000 homes have been destroyed by fire, while the increased use of landmines by junta forces has left communities across the country living in constant fear.

Deepening humanitarian crisis

The conflict has also fuelled a rapidly worsening humanitarian emergency.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, nearly one-third of Myanmar’s population now requires humanitarian assistance, while more than 12 million people face acute hunger.

Over 3.6 million people have been displaced across the country as fighting spreads in several regions, including Sagaing Region, Magway Region, Chin State, Bago Region and Kayin State.

Civilian casualties are also rising.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s armed forces killed at least 982 civilians in 2025, a 53 percent increase compared with the previous year. Among those killed were 287 children.

In Rakhine State alone, more than 190 people died in aerial attacks, which also destroyed homes, medical facilities and camps for internally displaced people.

Calls for stronger global action

Despite the deteriorating situation, Andrews said international measures aimed at isolating Myanmar’s military leadership have shown some results.

Sanctions targeting military-linked businesses and arms supply networks have disrupted the junta’s ability to obtain weapons, while the regime has struggled to gain international legitimacy.

He said the global community now faces a critical choice.

“Will it scale up measures that have proven effective and support the people of Myanmar, who continue to demonstrate remarkable courage and resilience?” Andrews asked.