Myanmar
As of February 2026, Myanmar is experiencing one of the world's most severe human rights catastrophes. Five years after the February 2021 military coup, the country is in a state of total democratic breakdown, marked by an escalating civil war, systemic war crimes, and a recent "sham" election designed to entrench military rule.
The following are the critical human rights issues in Myanmar today:
1. The 2025–2026 "Sham" Elections
Between December 28, 2025, and January 25, 2026, the military junta conducted a phased national election that has been widely condemned by the UN, EU, and ASEAN.
Fraud and Coercion: Major opposition parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), were banned. The junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed victory amid abysmal turnout (estimated at 13.1 million vs. 25.9 million in 2020).
Legal Repression: Under a July 2025 "Election Protection Law," over 400 people were arrested for criticizing the polls. Some received prison sentences of up to 49 years.
Exclusion: Roughly 10.5 million voters were excluded because their regions were under rebel control or considered "unstable," while millions more boycotted the process.
2. Escalation of Aerial Warfare and "Paramotor" Attacks
Facing significant territorial losses to resistance groups (Operation 1027), the military has pivoted to a brutal air campaign targeting civilians.
Indiscriminate Airstrikes: In 2025 and early 2026, airstrikes hit schools, hospitals, and displacement camps with unprecedented frequency. A January 2026 strike on a village in Kachin State killed at least 21 displaced people.
New Drone and Paramotor Tactics: Since December 2024, the military has reported over 135 attacks using motorized paragliders (paramotors) and armed drones to drop explosives on public gatherings, including a Buddhist festival in October 2025 that killed 24 people.
Illegal Munitions: Myanmar remains one of the few nations still actively using internationally banned cluster munitions and antipersonnel landmines.
3. Forced Conscription and Child Soldiers
To address a critical manpower shortage, the junta has turned to predatory recruitment tactics.
Abusive Conscription: Since the February 2024 People's Military Service Law, young men and boys are frequently abducted from streets or tea shops. Family members are often held hostage until "missing" conscripts surrender.
Surge in Child Soldiers: Recruitment of minors has reached levels not seen in decades. Children are being used as porters, human shields, and front-line combatants by both the military and, in some cases, non-state armed groups.
4. Persecution of the Rohingya and Other Minorities
The Rohingya face a "double threat" in 2026, caught between the military junta and the Arakan Army (AA).
Statelessness and Violence: Most of the 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Rakhine State live in "open-air detention camps" with no freedom of movement.
New Allegations against Rebel Groups: While the military continues its genocidal campaign, the Arakan Army (which now controls much of northern Rakhine) has also been accused of drone attacks on Rohingya villages, extrajudicial killings, and burning homes.
Perilous Migration: In 2025, over 4,500 Rohingya attempted treacherous sea crossings to Indonesia and Malaysia; 2025 was the deadliest year for these journeys since 2014.
5. Total Suppression of Expression and Digital Rights
Cybersecurity Law (2025): Enacted in January 2025, this law officially bans VPN use and imposes local data retention, allowing the military to monitor and arrest anyone for online dissent.
Journalist Deaths: As of early 2026, at least 27 journalists remain in prison (some with life sentences). Between 2021 and 2026, seven journalists have been killed in custody due to torture.
Surveillance: The military has installed sophisticated Chinese-made surveillance technology across major cities, using facial recognition to track activists and protesters.
6. Humanitarian Collapse and "Scam Centers"
Displacement: Over 3.6 million people are internally displaced. The military systematically blocks life-saving aid from reaching opposition-held areas.
Online Scam Industry: Along the borders with Thailand and China, "scam centers" run by criminal syndicates (often under military protection) rely on human trafficking and forced labor. Tens of thousands of foreign and local nationals are held in slave-like conditions to perform international financial scams.