The United Nations announced on Tuesday that evidence indicating a significant escalation in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar has been gathered, potentially aiding in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018, highlighted the “sharp increase in war crimes and systematic attacks against civilians.” This aligns with data collected by other UN agencies, NGOs, and countries concerning the violence Myanmar has witnessed since the military coup in 2021.
The Investigative Mechanism noted the possibility of pursuing legal action against the perpetrators, implicating the Myanmar military and its associated armed groups in “escalating and increasingly brutal war crimes.” Specifically, the military’s actions, such as random airstrikes, village destructions, civilian and detainee massacres, torture, and sexual violence, were underlined.
The coup, which overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has resulted in chaos, displacing over a million people, according to the UN. Moreover, a local monitoring group reported over 3,800 fatalities.
Nicholas Koumjian, the head of the Investigative Mechanism, stated, “Every life lost in Myanmar is a tragedy. However, the widespread devastation caused by airstrikes and burning villages is particularly shocking.”
Although Myanmar authorities denied the Investigative Mechanism members entry into the country, they managed to interview over 700 sources and analyzed “over 23 million pieces of information,” including testimonials, documents, photographs, videos, forensic evidence, and satellite images.
Collaborating with multiple entities, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, the Mechanism expressed its intent to “accelerate the evidence-collection process regarding the most serious international crimes” to share with investigators, prosecutors, and courts capable of prosecuting those responsible.
The Mechanism’s focus remains on the accountability of specific individuals, notably high-ranking officials. The report suggested that the higher authorities’ neglect of these crimes may indicate their involvement.
