A new report by the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) reveals that most people in Myanmar are united in defying military authoritarianism and violence. The report calls for renewed international resolve to end the military’s stranglehold on power. Driven by relentless violence, systemic impunity, and economic collapse, a spiraling human rights crisis has left civilians caught in the crossfire of an increasingly brutal conflict resulting in a dire humanitarian crisis.
The OHCHR report came out on Monday at a time when the number of people in Myanmar in need of humanitarian assistance has risen to an unprecedented 22 million after four years of fierce civil war and in the wake of devastating earthquakes recently.
On March 28, 2025, two major earthquakes struck Myanmar, particularly impacting the central regions, including Mandalay and Sagaing. More than 3,800 people are reported to have died, and many more are believed to be missing beneath the rubble. The destruction of properties and infrastructures is widespread.
Following the earthquakes, the military maintained restrictive control over humanitarian access to affected areas. Despite declared ceasefires by the military and non-state armed groups (NSAGs), including ethnic armed organizations and people’s defense forces, military operations continued, further exacerbating the suffering of the civilian population.
“Ever since the military disrupted Myanmar’s democratic path in 2021, the country has endured an increasingly catastrophic human rights crisis marked by unabated violence and atrocities that have affected every single aspect of life,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk in a statement on Monday alongside the release of the report.
The report, which is scheduled to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on July 1, 2025, provides an overview of the dire human rights situation in Myanmar. It examines the political economy that enables the military's repression and the growing regional impact of the situation.
Emphasizing the importance of addressing the root causes of the crisis, the report notes that the situation in Myanmar is exacerbated by the military's political and economic power, , which remains largely unchecked. It highlights generalized impunity, the instrumentalization of laws and institutions to serve military interests, and an overall system of governance based on structural racial discrimination, exclusion, and division.
“Over the past months, my Office has consulted with Myanmar people across all ethnic communities, sectors and demographics, particularly listening to the voices of young people, on their vision for the future,” the High Commissioner said.
“They have been united in one message: they don’t want to be ruled by guns, but, rather, yearn for a peaceful, inclusive and democratic society.”
The human rights report identifies four key areas for moving forward: accountability, good governance, sustainable development, and the actions of international and regional stakeholders.
“This report underscores the importance of planning for the day-after, where human rights are the front and center of the new Myanmar,” Türk said.
“There are strong, resourceful and principled individuals and groups rallying and creating the conditions for an inclusive and democratic future. They are a shining example of hope for a peaceful future.”
In the report, the High Commissioner for Human Rights renewed his call for the UN Security Council to fully refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He reiterated his calls for the Myanmar military to end the perpetration of violence against the civilian population, including the Rohingya people, as well as attacks on civilian objects, in accordance with relevant human rights obligations, international humanitarian law, Security Council Resolution 2669 (2022), and the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Myanmar continues to face significant humanitarian challenges driven by persistent conflict, recurrent disasters, and grave protection risks.
Humanitarian needs in Myanmar have reached record levels. Before the earthquakes struck, 19.9 million people were identified as needing assistance. Following the March earthquakes, an additional 2 million people are now in urgent need.
However, as of today, only 8 percent of the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for Myanmar has been funded, while the earthquake supplement to the HNRP has received 23 percent of the necessary funds.
In its latest situation report, OCHA stated that a surge in aerial attacks and shelling since mid-April has resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including children, while access to life-saving assistance and essential services is restricted for affected communities due to ongoing fighting.
An estimated 3.5 million people are internally displaced across the country. Civilians continue to flee their homes due to fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and various non-state armed groups.
It is estimated that over 1.5 million people have fled to neighboring countries or crossed borders by sea, both legally and illegally, creating further regional human rights and humanitarian challenges.
Since the last comprehensive UN human rights report was published in mid-2024, armed resistance groups have made significant advances, gaining control over large areas of territory. In response, the military regularly carried out airstrikes and artillery shelling in populated areas, resulting in more civilian casualties in 2024 than in previous years.
Fighting was particularly intense in Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army (AA) took control of the regional military headquarters and numerous bases, obtaining nearly complete control of the state.
Rohingya civilians caught between the military and the AA regularly faced killings, disappearances, mutilations, arbitrary arrests, torture, village destruction, and widespread displacement. There are also reports of Rohingya armed groups' involvement in hostilities.
The OHCHR report states that conditions currently ("at the time of writing") remain unconducive for the safe and sustainable return of Rohingya to Rakhine State.
In a related development concerning Myanmar and the plight of the Rohingya people, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed grave concern on Friday regarding reports of two boat tragedies off the coast of Myanmar earlier this month, in which an estimated 427 Rohingya perished at sea.
"This would be the deadliest tragedy at sea involving Rohingya refugees attempting to find safety this year," UNHCR said.
Reports suggest that about 514 Rohingya refugees were traveling on two separate boats. The boats reportedly carried refugees from camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, as well as people fleeing Rakhine State in Myanmar.
Given that the annual monsoon season has already arrived in the region, the timing of the journey was particularly dangerous, reflecting the desperation of those making it.
So far this year, nearly one in five people attempting perilous sea journeys in this region have been reported dead or missing, making the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal some of the deadliest waters in the world.
“The dire humanitarian situation, exacerbated by funding cuts, is having a devastating impact on the lives of Rohingya, with more and more resorting to dangerous journeys to seek safety, protection and a dignified life for themselves and their families,” said Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.
"The latest tragedy is a chilling reminder that access to meaningful protection, especially in countries of first asylum, as well as responsibility sharing and collective efforts along sea routes, are essential to saving lives."
UNHCR calls on authorities in the region to take urgent action to prevent future tragedies, and on the international community to stand in solidarity with countries hosting Rohingya refugees.
This year, the UN agency requires US$ 383 million to stabilize the lives of refugees and their host communities in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Myanmar. So far, only 30 percent of this amount has been received.
Further information
Full text: Situation of human rights in Myanmar - Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/59/57) (Advance unedited version), published May 26, 2025
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session59/advance-version/a-hrc-59-57-auv.docx