Myanmar remains engulfed in civil war following the military coup in February 2021, which triggered widespread armed resistance across the nation. In a new report released on Thursday, Special Rapporteur Kelley Anne Eckels-Currie warned that the country's human rights situation has become catastrophic with no end to the spiraling violence in sight. Her findings indicate that at least 8,384 civilians have been killed by the military between the coup and September 15, 2026.
Despite the regime launching a so-called "100-day peace plan" from April 20 to July 31, 2026, the situation has only deteriorated. The military continues to employ airstrikes and artillery to target civilian infrastructure, including schools, healthcare facilities, religious buildings, markets, and displacement camps. Eckels-Currie emphasized that these attacks are not accidents but represent an intentional infliction of harm designed to terrorize populations and force submission. During the 100-day period alone, approximately 753 civilians were killed, with the Myanmar military and paramilitary forces responsible for 89 percent of these deaths.
The Special Rapporteur noted that the military's strategy is rooted in the "Four Cuts" doctrine, which aims to sever food, resources, humanitarian access, and support networks from areas resisting the regime. Humanitarian operations are deliberately obstructed through telecommunications blackouts, movement restrictions, and checkpoints, preventing the delivery of essential supplies like food, medicine, and fuel. Aid workers face severe risks, including harassment, arbitrary detention, torture, and killings; in July 2026, three humanitarian workers were reportedly tortured and killed in the southeastern city of Dawei.
A critical driver of this ongoing conflict is Myanmar's growing illicit economy, which Eckels-Currie stated has become a major fuel for the war rather than just a consequence. As the formal economy shrinks due to war and mismanagement, criminal activities such as online scam centers, illegal mining, human trafficking, and forced labor are filling the gap. Black market profits are financing the military's weapons purchases from countries like China and Russia while sustaining loyalty within the junta. Chinese transnational criminal networks provide the backbone for these enterprises, utilizing cryptocurrency platforms like Tether and social media sites including TikTok, Meta, and X to facilitate operations, enabled by corruption in neighboring countries.
Disrupting these criminal networks presents significant challenges without harming civilians. The Special Rapporteur highlighted that efforts to cut off Starlink internet access to scam centers have inadvertently left humanitarian organizations and local communities without vital connectivity.
Sources: UN News English.