Military coup Archives - Human Rights Myanmar

Privacy violations and discrimination in Myanmar

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Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has weaponised digital tools to dismantle privacy and target marginalised groups. This submission to the UN High Commissioner documents discriminatory surveillance practices—such as data retention, SIM registration, VPN blocks, and facial recognition—and calls for urgent international action to expose, sanction, and end the military’s deliberate strategy of digital repression…

Disinformation as a weapon in Myanmar

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Disinformation is a deliberate, state-sponsored tactic used to silence dissent, justify violence, and undermine human rights. Spread through military-controlled media and covert online networks, it distorts reality and fuels division. Harmful counter-measures often worsen repression, while weak responses from digital platforms allow falsehoods to thrive. Independent media and global cooperation are urgently needed to counter…

Military prevents reintegration of political prisoners

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This report to the UN exposes the military’s deliberate policy of preventing the reintegration of political prisoners. Instead of rehabilitation, the military regime enforces surveillance, harassment, economic exclusion, and family disruption to keep former detainees marginalised and politically silenced. It calls for international accountability and support for independent reintegration efforts to counter the regime’s systematic…

Risks of creative AI in Myanmar

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Global tech companies have repeatedly rolled out new digital applications in Myanmar without adequate due diligence, driving disinformation, hatred and enabling atrocity crimes. As AI now enables instant audio-visual creation, it is critical that companies adopt rigorous, rights-based safeguards to avoid repeating these errors.

Sex-based violence in Myanmar

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Myanmar’s military systematically uses sex-based violence to subjugate women and girls, intensifying since the 2021 coup. At least 380 women have been intentionally targeted and killed, some burned alive or executed in custody, while over 500 have faced sexual violence, including rape. This deliberate strategy, rooted in patriarchy and militarisation, aims to silence dissent and…

Hundreds of older people victims of military violence

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Older people in Myanmar are not spared from the conflict’s extreme violence. Since 2021, nearly 700 have been unlawfully killed. Military actions include horrific abuses like beheadings and being burned alive. Many, especially those with disabilities, are trapped and deliberately targeted. Alongside arbitrary detention of almost 500 and harsh sentences, these acts highlight a systematic assault. Urgent…

Military’s earthquake response: a crime against humanity?

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The devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March has wrought widespread destruction and immense human suffering, made far worse by the military’s response, which may constitute another crime against humanity.

Journalists under attack for defending Myanmar’s environment

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Myanmar journalists reporting on environmental degradation have faced systematic violence, arbitrary detention, and torture. Reporters investigating illegal mining, deforestation, and industrial pollution—vital to public health and democratic accountability—are deliberately targeted by the military and a manipulated justice system. This report highlights severe human rights abuses for the UN’s global review.

Myanmar’s digital coup rigging the election before it begins

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The digital space plays a crucial role in modern electoral processes, especially in contexts like Myanmar, where the media landscape is tightly controlled, and online platforms remain one of the few avenues to access information. This report highlights how the military’s attacks on internet access and digital freedoms will further undermine the military’s plan to…

Chinese security companies exacerbate human rights violations in Myanmar

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The rise of Chinese private security companies in Myanmar will reshape conflict dynamics. This report to the UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries highlights how such companies are proxies for the Chinese State, importing authoritarianism, intensifying militarisation, undermining human rights, and exploiting legal loopholes to operate with impunity.

Draft Sagaing constitution missing key rights

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The draft constitution is a step forward but should be strengthened to abolish the death penalty, ban cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, guarantee the right to vote and the right to privacy. The draft should also be amended to enhance fair trial safeguards, ensure judicial independence, establish judicial review, and restrict emergency powers.

Killing, torture, and persecution of persons with disabilities in Myanmar

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Since Myanmar’s 2021 coup, at least 117 persons with disabilities (PWDs) have been killed by the military. Many PWDs have faced targeted violence and been disproportionately affected by indiscriminate human rights abuses. Those held in arbitrary detention have been subjected to extreme torture and widespread medical neglect. This report outlines some of the most serious…

Myanmar’s cyber law a serious threat to privacy, speech, and security

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Rather than ensuring cybersecurity, Myanmar’s newly adopted Cyber Security “Law” grants the military sweeping powers to control online spaces, enabling systematic violations of digital rights, including the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information. This analysis highlights how the law deviates from international human rights standards and threatens privacy, digital security, VPN…

Child rights violations in Myanmar’s conflict

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The military is responsible for widespread killings, detention, torture, and forced displacement of children, recruitment of child soldiers, and attacks on education. With over 1.4 million children displaced and millions deprived of basic rights, this report underscores the urgent need for international action to address crimes against humanity and protect Myanmar’s children.

Myanmar’s militarisation of education

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Myanmar’s schools have been systematically militarised, including by military occupation, destruction of infrastructure, and manipulation of the curriculum. These violations undermine children’s rights and safety. This report urges international action to protect education, ensure accountability, and support alternative learning initiatives amidst the ongoing crisis.

Myanmar’s human rights challenges for 2025

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International Human Rights Day on 10 December is an opportunity to examine which rights may be at risk in Myanmar in 2025. The evolving dynamics of military oppression, the challenges facing any desired transition, the crackdown on civic space, the precarious position of exiled civil society, and the role of the ICC all hold profound…

President Trump 2.0 implications for human rights in Myanmar

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The recent U.S. election exemplifies the fundamental right to freely choose leaders, but it also signals potential threats to human rights in Myanmar.

The Great Firewall of Myanmar

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The military’s May 2024 VPN block has significantly infringed on digital rights. Human Rights Myanmar’s review of 3 billion Facebook interactions shows a substantial decline in public engagement on Facebook, impacting media, development, and the digital economy. The VPN block, combined with the Facebook ban, may be the largest act of censorship in Myanmar’s turbulent…

Understanding the impact of the military’s VPN blockade

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Our project investigates the far-reaching consequences of Myanmar’s military VPN blockage, revealing how it undermines both individual freedoms and the nation’s socio-economic development. By documenting these impacts, we aim to highlight the urgent need for global action to protect digital rights in repressive regimes.

Undermining universal standards from Israel/Gaza to Myanmar

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The Myanmar military has exploited the inconsistent application of international human rights standards, including in regard to Israel/Gaza, to justify its own repressive measures. By drawing parallels between international conflicts and domestic issues, the military aims to legitimise its restrictions on freedom of expression and undermine the credibility of international human rights mechanisms.

Tag: Military coup