29 July 2021 – London/Yangon – Today, BRHN releases its newest report, “’Before our Very Eyes: Myanmar’s Military Junta commits Crimes Against Humanity while the International Community Fails to Act”.

Since the February 2021 coup, BHRN has carefully documented over 300 criminal acts committed by the Tatmadaw against the Burmese people, as a part of its brutal crackdown on civilians protesting the military coup. The information collected is based on data collected and verified by BHRN in February, March, and April 2021.  BHRN has also documented the growing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, caused by the Tatmadaw blocking critical humanitarian aid from reaching vulnerable populations and its failure to manage a deadly third wave of the COVID pandemic sweeping through the country.

In its report, BHRN analyses these acts as potential crimes against humanity and finds that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that the Tatmadaw has committed crimes against humanity against the Burmese people, namely murder, imprisonment and other severe deprivations of liberty, enforced disappearance, torture, other inhumane acts, and persecution based on political identity.

BHRN believes that stronger responses to these crimes are needed from States, United Nations actors and entities, and the National Unity Government. The report concludes with BHRN’s recommendations to these individuals and entities.

“With this report, BHRN calls on the international community to acknowledge what is taking place before the world’s eyes in Burma- the commission of crimes against humanity by an illegitimate and criminal military junta. These crimes require an urgent and robust response from the international community. But, almost six months since the coup, we can only conclude that the international community has failed. The people of Burma cannot afford for any more time to be lost. We call on the international community to do more- much more than it has so far- to bring an urgent end to the Tatmadaw’s reign of terror against the Burmese people, to send a clear message that impunity for atrocity crimes will not be tolerated, and to provide critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to the Burmese people.”

– Kyaw Win, Executive Director of the Burmese Human Rights Network

Media Enquiries
Please contact:

Kyaw Win 
Executive Director
Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
E: [email protected]
T: +44(0) 740 345 2378

Download PDF for Full Research Report.