Annual update on the Human Rights Situation in Myanmar – Overview of developments in 2025

Key Highlights

• 2025 was the deadliest year for children since the coup in 2021 with the impact of violence on girls particularly increasing;
• Civilian deaths due to airstrikes rose to the highest levels verified since 2021;
• Natural disasters and restriction of humanitarian access significantly aggravated the protection crisis;
• Almost a quarter of the population faced high levels of acute food insecurity with risk of further deterioration;
• Rohingya suffered systematic violations and abuses by the military and the Arakan Army;
• Military governance continued to be characterized by repression of political dissent, mass arbitrary arrests, conscription, widespread surveillance and limitation of civic space;
• Military-imposed elections lacking basic elements of freedom, fairness, and representativeness, exacerbated violence and societal polarization;
• Anti-military armed groups continued to commit violations targeting civilian officials working for the military and their institutions, such as the election commission, or others they accused of being informants;
• Proliferation of illicit activities, especially drug production and trafficking, scam centers, and unlawful natural resource extractions expanded in a climate of total impunity;
• Developments in international accountability processes continued for cases involving universal jurisdiction and preparations for hearings on the merits in The Gambia’s case against Myanmar before the International Court of Justice.

Introduction

Five years after the military coup triggered an ever-deteriorating crisis, the overall human rights situation continued to worsen. Myanmar communities reported violations across the spectrum of human rights with the military’s relentless use of violence without taking measures to protect civilians, suppression of dissent, and denial of humanitarian access. This situation was persistently compounded by the military’s gross mismanagement of the economy which has seen almost a quarter of the population forced into high levels of acute food insecurity. Both the military and its armed opponents allowed transnational criminal networks to operate in areas under their control with the continued growth of illicit economies including human trafficking and scamming, as well as the narcotics and weapons trade. Rohingya remained exposed to continuous violations and abuses by the military and the Arakan Army (AA) further entrenching an already catastrophic human rights situation. Myanmar’s human rights crisis resulted in regional and global consequences as, in absence of the rule of law, the spillover effects of displacement, transnational organized crime, trafficking in human beings, narcotics and arms impacted neighboring countries and the wider region.

Empowered by continuing supplies of armaments, the military systematically attacked, killed, arrested, disappeared, conscripted and displaced civilians to try to regain territories and installations lost in 2024. Following interventions by China, in April the military regained control of the Northwest Command and Lashio town from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and in October signed a ceasefire agreement with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) leading to the return of resource-rich Mogok and Momeik towns. In August, the United Wa State Army (UWSA) announced the cessation of all support to anti-military armed groups. Following these developments, the military announced, on 31 July, an end to its long-standing state of emergency and its intention to stage nationwide three-phase elections starting in December with the clear intention of obtaining international recognition as the legitimate government.

Despite these announcements, the military did not de-escalate levels of violence to pave the way for polls. Rather it increased the scope and scale of its offensives on several fronts throughout the country to regain territory and increased its repression of political dissent, civic space and independent media. Imposing a new “election protection law”, the military also began to utilize new surveillance technologies to track and arrest individuals wanted for dissident activities or criticism of the elections process. Institutions linked to the elections, such as the military-controlled electoral commission, have lost all semblance of independence or functional transparency.

Anti-military armed groups continued to direct the bulk of their operations against military objectives. Despite this, there continued to be persistent reports of attacks by armed groups targeting civilian officials or individuals believed to be sympathetic to the military. Targets included individuals working for the military-controlled election commission and township administrations. Anti-military elements also reportedly continued to use anti-personnel landmines and other inherently indiscriminate weapons such as command-detonated improvised explosive devices.

Furthering the plight of civilians, natural disasters significantly increased suffering contributing to deaths and destruction, amid a systematic denial of humanitarian access by the military in areas inside and outside their control. Most significantly, on 28 March, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay and the central regions causing over 4,000 deaths and displacing more than one million. Between May and October, floods in Bago, Kayah, Kayin, Shan, Mandalay, Magway, Mon, Naypyidaw, and Sagaing, affected another million people, killed some 500, displaced 80,000, and worsened outbreaks of cholera and dengue. Persistent shortages of medicines due to military-imposed restrictions impacted treatment of chronic diseases.

A key source of fear, insecurity, and displacement has been the military’s continued enforcement of the 2010 law on military service that reached its 19th round at the end of the year. This process has forced many youth to flee abroad or hide to avoid recruitment. In 2025, the military reportedly began to conscript women causing additional protection concerns related to sexual and gender-based violence, as well as leading people to resort to other harmful practices, such as early marriages.

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