Myanmar security forces involved in systematic torture, UN report says
GENEVA (Reuters) -United Nations investigators said on Tuesday they have found evidence of systematic torture by Myanmar security forces and identified some of the senior perpetrators.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIIM), formed in 2018 to analyse evidence of serious violations of international law, said victims were subject to beatings, electric shocks, strangulations and other forms of torture like the removal of fingernails with pliers.
"We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities," Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Mechanism said in a statement accompanying the 16-page report.
The torture sometimes resulted in death, the report said. Children, who are often unlawfully detained as proxies for their missing parents, were among those tortured, it said.
A spokesperson for Myanmar's military-backed government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The military-backed government has not responded to over two dozen requests by the U.N. team for information about the alleged crimes and requests to access the country, the U.N. report said.
The military says it has a duty to ensure peace and security. It has denied atrocities have taken place and has blamed "terrorists" for causing unrest.
The findings in the report covering a one-year period through to June 30 were based on information from more than 1,300 sources, including hundreds of eyewitness testimonies as well as forensic evidence, documents and photographs.
The list of perpetrators identified so far includes high-level commanders, the report said. An IIIM spokesperson declined to name them, saying investigations are ongoing and it wanted to avoid alerting the individuals.
The report also said that both Myanmar security forces and opposition armed groups had carried out summary executions in the conflict, and it had identified those responsible.
A government spokesperson and an opposition spokesperson were not immediately available for comment.
Myanmar has been in chaos since a 2021 military coup against an elected civilian government plunged the country into civil war. Tens of thousands of people have been detained since then in an attempt to silence opponents and recruit soldiers, the United Nations says.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing ended a four-year state of emergency last month and announced the formation of a newgovernment, with himself as acting president, ahead of a planned election.
The IIIM is investigating abuses in Myanmar since 2011, including both crimes committed against the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017 when hundreds of thousands were forced to flee a military crackdown and violations affecting all groups since the coup.
The IIIM said that it is supporting several jurisdictions investigating the alleged crimes, such as Britain. However, the IIIM said in its report that U.N. budget cuts are threatening its work. "These financial pressures threaten the Mechanism's ability to sustain its critical work and to continue supporting international and national justice efforts," it said.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; Additional reporting by Reuters staff; editing by Giles Elgood)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Malaysia houses almost 150,000 Rohingya refugees, says Tok Mat
SEREMBAN: Malaysia has been temporarily housing almost 150,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar following continued unrest in the country, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He said that until the military junta agrees to conduct free and fair elections throughout the country to pick a democratically elected government, the Rohingya refugees cannot be sent back. "The Rohingya situation has worsened following a military coup in 2021 and the ensuing civil wars, which have taken the lives of millions. "The Rohingyas are not only being targeted by the junta but also groups like the Arakan Army bent on controlling the Rakhine state, and who have committed grave abuses against the ethnic Rohingya population," he said when met after witnessing the handing over of a hall at SK Lavender Heights by the Public Works Department. Mohamad was asked to comment on a call by Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus for Malaysia's help in handling the Rohingya crisis. Muhammad had conveyed this to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during his three-day official visit here starting Aug 11. According to the United Nations, Bangladesh had, over the past 18 months, registered the biggest influx of Rohingya refugees since the mass exodus of Myanmar's predominantly Muslim minority nearly a decade ago. Mohamad said he had raised the issue with the junta during his previous visits to the country. "The junta has partially lifted the state of emergency and plans to hold elections at the end of the year, but at the same time, they have imposed martial law in 63 areas. "So, together with my counterparts from Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, I will be visiting the country on Sept 19 to assess the latest situation in the country and see how they plan to hold the polls," he said adding that he would also be meeting the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. He said it was also important for Myanmar to adhere to Asean's five-point consensus, which, among others, calls for an expanded and extended ceasefire, the need for constructive dialogue, appointment of a special envoy and humanitarian assistance. Mohamad said he would table a report on his findings during the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits to be held in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to 28. "The fact remains that the issue cannot be resolved until the country is peaceful again and the lives of the Rohingya are no longer in danger. "And this is only possible when every citizen is allowed to participate in an election to pick a democratically elected government," he added.
Barnama
4 hours ago
- Barnama
Malaysia, ASEAN To Hold Talks On Myanmar Election Plans During Sept 19 Working Visit
SEREMBAN, August 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said his official visit to Myanmar on Sept 19, together with his counterparts from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, will, among other matters, discuss the methods for implementing the planned elections in the country. Mohamad said the delegation's meeting with Myanmar's Acting President aims to ensure that the elections, scheduled for the end of this year, truly benefit the people of Myanmar. He added that the outcome of the visit will be presented to the leadership during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to 28. bootstrap slideshow According to him, Myanmar must also fully comply with the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), which includes a ceasefire, inclusive dialogue, and unhindered humanitarian assistance, as key steps towards restoring peace and stability in the country. 'As long as the security and political stability situation in Myanmar has not been restored and a democratically elected government not formed, the Rohingya refugee issue cannot be resolved. Bangladesh is currently managing 1.3 million Rohingya in their country, particularly in the Cox's Bazar area. 'Malaysia is no exception — we are hosting nearly 150,000 Rohingya refugees. As a member of the United Nations (UN), we are accepting them only on a temporary basis, not permanently,' he told reporters after officiating the handover of the Covered Open Multipurpose Hall at SK Lavender Heights in Seremban today. Mohamad said he also wants clarification on whether the elections will be held nationwide, given that there are still 63 towns or areas under a state of emergency imposed by Myanmar's National Defence and Security Council (NDSC). On July 31, it was reported that Myanmar's junta announced the establishment of a new body to organise a general election at the end of this year, effectively ending the state of emergency in force since the 2021 coup. Following the formation of the new Security and Stability Commission, also chaired by Min Aung Hlaing, the junta declared that the state of emergency was officially lifted.
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
War crimes likely committed by both sides in Syria sectarian violence, UN commission says
FILE PHOTO: A drone view shows the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, following deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces, in Syria July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo GENEVA (Reuters) -War crimes were likely committed by both members of interim government forces and fighters loyal to Syria's former rulers during a major outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria's coastal areas that culminated in a series of March massacres, a U.N. team of investigators found in a report on Thursday. Some 1,400 people, mainly civilians, were reported killed during the violence that primarily targeted Alawi communities, and reports of violations continue, according to a report by the U.N. Syria Commission of Inquiry. The incidents in the coastal region were the worst violence to hit Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last year, prompting the interim government to name a fact-finding committee. (Reporting by Emma Farge and Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Miranda Murray)
