UN: Over 700 civilians killed in six months of Myanmar election period violence

A United Nations report has raised alarm over rising civilian deaths and widespread abuses in Myanmar, saying at least 700 people were killed within a six-month period linked to the military’s election process, which has been widely criticized as unfair and exclusionary.

The United Nations Human Rights Office report, which covers August to January, states that credible sources confirmed a minimum of 702 civilian deaths, among them 224 women and 153 children.

The period examined runs from when the military, which seized power in a coup five years ago, announced elections that were widely seen as a sham because major opposition parties were not allowed to take part.

The report says the violence took place against the backdrop of a worsening conflict that has followed the 2021 coup, which removed the democratically elected government and triggered a civil war that has left thousands dead and millions displaced.

Large parts of the country remain under the control of armed opposition groups, even as the military continues operations across several regions.

Inside Myanmar, fighting has intensified as rebels who had earlier made gains have been pushed back, with forced conscription and increased drone use helping the military regain ground in many areas.

The UN says air strikes remained the main cause of destruction and suffering during the period under review.

The report identifies Sagaing region as the most affected area, describing it as the “most dangerous region for civilians as the military pressed to gain ground”, with 191 deaths recorded there, including 60 women and 30 children.

One of the incidents highlighted occurred in October in Chaung-U, where 23 people, including four children, were killed and more than 60 others injured after munitions hit civilians gathered outside a school. According to the report, “At the time of the attack, participants were holding a candlelit event to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent, and to call for the release of political prisoners, oppose military conscription and reject military elections,” the report states.

Another deadly attack took place in December in Tabayin, where a military aircraft bombed a tea shop as people watched a football match. At least 19 people were killed and 20 others injured in the strike.

The report also raises concern over abuses affecting Rohingya communities, including forced recruitment by the Arakan Army, as well as killings, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that the situation reflects deepening neglect and continued suffering for civilians caught in the conflict. He said, "As if the people of Myanmar have not suffered enough at the hands of the military, they have now seemingly been forgotten by those outside the country,"

The report further notes that reduced international support is worsening the humanitarian situation, adding that "decline in international assistance is further compounding the suffering of millions of people".

It adds that in many areas, aid and protection efforts were the only support available to communities facing constant attacks. The statement reads, "Funding for localised protection efforts was in many areas the only solace from the suffering caused by constant targeting and indiscriminate attacks by the military. This pullback just compounds that injury."

Politically, the report says the military leadership has tightened its grip on power. In April, Min Aung Hlaing, the general who led the 2021 coup, became president. The elections held under military control are described as a foregone conclusion, with major parties banned and large parts of the country excluded due to ongoing conflict.

The parliament, according to the report, is largely filled with loyalists. The armed forces are guaranteed one quarter of the seats, while the military-backed party, the USDP, secured nearly 80% of the remaining seats in a vote widely seen as heavily tilted in its favour.