Systematic Abuse Identified in Myanmar

• The UN team confirmed the facts of abuse in Myanmar's prisons.
• The report covers the period until June 2023.
• More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2017.

In Geneva, a team supported by the UN reported significant evidence of systematic abuse in Myanmar's prisons. In the annual report published on September 12, it discusses incidents of electric shock, suffocation, group torture, and the death of inmates over the past year.

Nicklaus Kumachyan, an independent expert from the UN team, noted that the report covers the period until June 30. The situation in the country has worsened since the military coup in February 2021, which led to a civil war.

The team revealed that in operations in prisons soldiers participated alongside the police and paramilitary groups. The report also highlights the increasing frequency and brutality of crimes in Myanmar.

"Our report indicates a continuous increase in the brutality of crimes in Myanmar," said Kumachyan. The team has begun new investigations into crimes against humanity in the state of Rakhine, where fighting continues between the military and the Arakan Army.

About 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape persecution in Myanmar. Almost 70,000 people crossed the border last year due to rising violence in the state of Rakhine.

The independent mechanism for investigating Myanmar has been operating since 2018 and documents human rights violations in the country. It has submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.

Tags: Crime