March 22, 2022
Cited article by Al Jazeera
HRRC is horrified by the ongoing accounts of human rights violations occurring in Myanmar. The UN report is a critical step in holding the Myanmar military accountable, but additional actions must be taken to ensure the safety of those still at risk.
Article Summary
A recent UN Human Rights report details how Myanmar's military has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The military has intentionally targeted civilians, with many of the victims shot in the head, burned to death, arrested without cause, tortured, and used as human shields. The military has denied the allegations, adding that they are ensuring peace and security, and blamed "terrorists" for the unrest.
The UN report is sourced from interviews by many of the victims of these abuses, as well as witness statements. The witness testimonies are confirmed using satellite imagery, multimedia files, and open-source information. Some gathered intelligence exposed mass killings, many of the victims bound at the time of their deaths. Women and children attempting to escape were also found among the dead. Additional evidence shows that further abuses were committed, however, the descriptions included in the UN News Release may be difficult for some readers, and caution is advised.