According to a United Nations report, the Myanmar military is increasing the number of civilian arrests and murders

A U.N. report released on Tuesday indicated that Myanmar’s military government has increased the number of arrests and murders in an apparent effort to silence opponents and recruit soldiers in an escalating conflict. Since the 2021 coup, tens of thousands of individuals have been detained.

The military seized power in February 2021 after deposing the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and inciting nationwide street protests that it violently suppressed.

The protest movement has since evolved into a broader armed rebellion, and combat has erupted on numerous fronts. As a result, authorities implemented conscription in February.

According to the report authored by Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the military has murdered 5,350 civilians since the coup. The report is partially based on remote interviews with hundreds of victims and witnesses, as investigators are denied access.

In the period between April 2023 and June 2024, the U.N. report documented 2,414 fatalities, with hundreds of them being slain by airstrikes and artillery attacks. This represents a 50% increase from the previous reporting period.

No response was received from a Myanmar junta spokesperson when contacted for comment.

The report also disclosed the extent of detentions throughout the nation, with nearly 27,400 individuals arrested since the coup, including over 9,000 in the most recent reporting period. It stated that a significant number are believed to be in military training centers.

The report stated that children were among those seized by authorities when their parents were unable to be located, as a form of punishment for political opposition.

The report provided a detailed account of instances of torture, including the suspension of detainees from the ceiling without access to food or water, the use of snakes and insects to induce terror, and the application of bamboo sticks and motorcycle chains to inflict physical harm.

At least 1,853 individuals, including 88 children, have perished in custody since the coup, according to Liz Throssel, spokesperson for the U.N. rights office, during a press briefing.

“Many of these individuals have been verified as dying after being subjected to abusive interrogation, other ill-treatment in detention or denial of access to adequate health care,” said the investigator.