UN atrocity report adds friction to Myanmar junta’s diplomatic push for legitimacy

The report says abuses escalated around the time Myanmar was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president

The report by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), a body appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, documents a year-long investigation into alleged “war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed by Myanmar’s military and its linked militias, as well as by armed opposition groups.

It said the military campaign included air strikes on homes, schools and camps for displaced people, alongside arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence.

Investigators said the military had increased its use of low-cost aircraft, such as motorised paragliders and gyrocopters, in strikes against anti-government groups. “Double-tap” aerial attacks, in which a second strike follows the first, harming first responders, those helping the wounded and fleeing residents, are also on the rise.

According to the report, there was an escalation of abuses in December and January, around the time the country was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president and its military-backed party winning seats in the absence of any viable opposition.