Latest news with #IndependentInvestigativeMechanismonMyanmar
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
UN-backed investigators allege torture, sex crimes in Myanmar detention facilities
A United Nations-backed investigator says his team has turned up significant evidence of 'systemic torture' in Myanmar's detention centres, including electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape and burning of sexual body parts over the last year. Nicholas Koumjian was speaking as the international independent team he heads released its latest annual report on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), focusing on a one-year period running through June 30, 2025. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the Army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering a civil war. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The team said it has made advances in identifying security personnel involved in operations at the detention facilities and 'perpetrators who have summarily executed captured combatants or civilians accused of being informers'. Perpetrators included security forces, affiliated militias and opposition armed groups, it said. The report 'details the documented torture in Myanmar's detention facilities, which includes beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape, burning of sexual body parts and other forms of sexual violence,' a summary of its findings said. Also read: Myanmar region sees 'dramatic' hunger rise after aid cutbacks 'Our report highlights a continued increase in the frequency and brutality of atrocities committed in Myanmar,' Mr. Koumjian said. 'We are working towards the day when the perpetrators will have to answer for their actions in a court of law.' 'We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities,' he said. His team has opened new investigations into atrocities committed against communities in Rakhine state as the military and the opposition force known as the Arakan Army battle for control of the territory. More than 700,000 people from the Rohingya minority fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape persecution in Myanmar. About 70,000 others crossed the border last year when the Arakan Army effectively took over Rakhine. The Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar has been working since 2018 under a mandate from the UN-backed Human Rights Council to help document rights abuses and violations in the country. It has shared evidence with authorities looking into cases involving the Rohingya at the International Criminal Court and the UN's International Court of Justice.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
UN-backed investigators allege torture, sex crimes in Myanmar detention facilities
A UN-backed investigator says his team has turned up significant evidence of 'systemic torture' in Myanmar's detention centres, including electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape and burning of sexual body parts over the last year. In this Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, photo, F, 22, who says she was raped by members of Myanmar's armed forces in June and again in September, is photographed in her tent in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh.(AP) Nicholas Koumjian was speaking as the international independent team he heads released its latest annual report on Tuesday, focusing on a one-year period running through June 30. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering a civil war. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The team said it has made advances in identifying security personnel involved in operations at the detention facilities and 'perpetrators who have summarily executed captured combatants or civilians accused of being informers.' Perpetrators included security forces, affiliated militias and opposition armed groups, it said. The report 'details the documented torture in Myanmar's detention facilities which includes beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape, burning of sexual body parts and other forms of sexual violence,' a summary of its findings said. 'Our report highlights a continued increase in the frequency and brutality of atrocities committed in Myanmar,' Koumjian said. 'We are working towards the day when the perpetrators will have to answer for their actions in a court of law.' 'We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities,' he said. His team has opened new investigations into atrocities committed against communities in Rakhine state as the military and the opposition force known as the Arakan Army battle for control of the territory. More than 700,000 people from the Rohingya minority fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape persecution in Myanmar. About 70,000 others crossed the border last year when the Arakan Army effectively took over Rakhine. The Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar has been working since 2018 under a mandate from the UN-backed Human Rights Council to help document rights abuses and violations in the country. It has shared evidence with authorities looking into cases involving the Rohingya at the International Criminal Court and the UN's International Court of Justice.
2 days ago
- Politics
UN-backed investigators allege torture and sex crimes in Myanmar detention facilities
GENEVA -- A U.N.-backed investigator says his team has turned up significant evidence of 'systemic torture' in Myanmar's detention centers, including electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape and burning of sexual body parts over the last year. Nicholas Koumjian was speaking as the international independent team he heads released its latest annual report on Tuesday, focusing on a one-year period running through June 30. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering a civil war. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The team said it has made advances in identifying security personnel involved in operations at the detention facilities and 'perpetrators who have summarily executed captured combatants or civilians accused of being informers.' Perpetrators included security forces, affiliated militias and opposition armed groups, it said. The report 'details the documented torture in Myanmar's detention facilities which includes beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape, burning of sexual body parts and other forms of sexual violence,' a summary of its findings said. 'Our report highlights a continued increase in the frequency and brutality of atrocities committed in Myanmar,' Koumjian said. 'We are working towards the day when the perpetrators will have to answer for their actions in a court of law.' 'We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities,' he said. His team has opened new investigations into atrocities committed against communities in Rakhine state as the military and the opposition force known as the Arakan Army battle for control of the territory. More than 700,000 people from the Rohingya minority fled to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape persecution in Myanmar. About 70,000 others crossed the border last year when the Arakan Army effectively took over Rakhine. The Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar has been working since 2018 under a mandate from the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council to help document rights abuses and violations in the country.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Electric shocks, gang rapes & more: What happens inside Myanmar's detention centers? UN investigators reveal
A United Nations-backed investigator has revealed disturbing evidence of 'systemic torture' inside Myanmar's detention centres, describing electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape and the burning of sexual body parts among the abuses that were documented over the past year. Nicholas Koumjian, head of the international independent team investigating atrocities in the country, spoke as the group released its latest annual report on Tuesday, covering the 12 months to 30 June. The country has been in turmoil since February 2021, ever since the army overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, sparking a civil war. As peaceful protests were crushed with lethal force, those opposing military rule took up arms. Since then, conflict has engulfed large parts of Myanmar. The investigative team, as quoted by AP, said that it had made progress in identifying security personnel involved in detention operations, as well as 'perpetrators who have summarily executed captured combatants or civilians accused of being informers.' These perpetrators included members of the security forces, affiliated militias and opposition armed groups. The report details the "documented torture in Myanmar's detention facilities which includes beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape, burning of sexual body parts and other forms of sexual violence," according to a summary of the findings. 'Our report highlights a continued increase in the frequency and brutality of atrocities committed in Myanmar,' Koumjian said. 'We are working towards the day when the perpetrators will have to answer for their actions in a court of law.' 'We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities,' he further added. The team also launched new investigations into atrocities committed in Rakhine state, where the military and the Arakan Army, an opposition force, are battling for control. Rakhine has long been the scene of grave abuses. More than 700,000 people from the Rohingya minority fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape persecution. About 70,000 more crossed the border last year after the Arakan Army effectively seized control of the territory. The Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar has been operating since 2018 under a mandate from the UN-backed Human Rights Council to document human rights abuses and violations in the country. It has already shared evidence with authorities pursuing cases involving the Rohingya at the International Criminal Court and the UN's International Court of Justice.
