The UN says Myanmar’s military, launched a coup in 2021, killed 702 civilians from August to January 2024 – a stretch covering the elections that most observers label a sham. 224 of those people were women and 153 were children.
The military’s “air strikes” were the single largest cause of damage and suffering, turning villages into rubble. Sagaing, the most dangerous region, recorded 191 deaths, including 60 women and 30 children. In early October a bomb hit a school‑yard event, killing 23 people, four of them children. In December a plane bombed a tea shop during a football match, taking at least 19 lives.
Beyond the battlefields, the Rohingya community faces forced recruitment, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence. UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk warned that shrinking international aid “further compounds the injury” to millions who are already suffering under constant military attacks.
The report also highlights that the elections were organised by the junta after wiping out opposition parties, leaving the new parliament full of loyalists. The military controls 25% of parliamentary seats and its own party, USDP, won the rest, making the victory pre‑determined.
These findings underscore a brutal reality: the Myanmar army’s on‑ground tactics and air campaign continue to kill civilians, while the international community’s aid has slumped. The call is clear – more support is needed for local protection and law‑making bodies that are otherwise sidelined by the military’s dominance.
