Myanmar’s Forgotten War: Civilians demand justice as violence escalates

As Myanmar marks the 37th anniversary of the student-led uprising of 8 August 1988, its people once again find themselves locked in a life-or-death struggle against military tyranny. More than four years have passed since the junta seized power in an unlawful coup on 1 February 2021. Since then, the country has spiraled into a worsening humanitarian and human rights catastrophe, with civilians bearing the brunt of relentless military attacks, repression, and a growing economic and food crisis.  

The scale of suffering is staggering. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and independent monitors, over 6,200 civilians have been killed since the coup. More than 28,000 people have been arrested on political grounds, including minors. At least 80 of those children were subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, said the United Nations Security Council in a report in May. Additionally, over 3.5 million people have been displaced, many living in makeshift shelters, and nearly half the country’s population – 20 million – urgently need humanitarian assistance.  

Entire villages have been bombed. Hospitals, schools, and religious sites lie in ruins. In recent months, the military has escalated its campaign of aerial terror, deliberately dropping bombs on civilian areas. In one particularly harrowing incident in May, a school in Depayin Township, Sagaing region, was hit by airstrikes, killing 20 students (ages 7–17) and two female teachers, while around 50 to 100 people were injured, including children suffering severe wounds and limb injuries. This devastating strike occurred while more than 100 students were sitting for exams, in an area where no fighting was reported at the time. This is sadly one amongst too many examples of the impunity in which the Myanmar military continues to violate international laws.  

Women survivors are leading the fight for Justice 

This is not just a conflict. It is a deliberate assault on a civilian population. In addition to extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, and torture, the military and non-state armed groups continue to use sexual violence as a tactic of war. Survivors report patterns of rape, sexualized torture, and harassment, often committed in custody or during military raids. Perpetrators act without fear of consequences. Civil society organizations, who have documented repeated patterns of the widespread and systematic use of rape of an instrument of war and oppression for decades, note that deeply entrenched systems of impunity and gender inequality limit accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes. Despite being the obstacles and their own sufferings, women and LGBT individuals are leading Myanmar’s revolution to end military rule and human rights abuses. They’re striving for a peaceful, democratic future, dismantling discriminatory patriarchal hierarchies that have long denied them full rights. 

Despite the overwhelming evidence and documentation of atrocity crimes, international accountability remains painfully limited. While some progress has been made, it is not enough. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Prosecutor filed for an arrest warrant against Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, targeting his role in crimes against humanity related to the crimes of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, committed in Myanmar and in part in Bangladesh. In February this year, an Argentine court also issued arrest warrants against 25 Myanmar military leaders under the principle of universal jurisdiction, for the active role they played during the 2017 so called “clearance operations” in Rakhine State. Finally, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is scheduled to begin oral hearings in early 2026 in the case brought by The Gambia over Myanmar’s alleged violations of the Genocide Convention. 

But justice for ongoing crimes remains elusive. The ICC’s jurisdiction is limited to events predating the 2021 coup. No court, international or national, currently has an open investigation into crimes committed since the military’s unlawful takeover in 2021. Efforts to file additional universal jurisdiction cases have yet to result in any formal proceedings. Interpol has not issued red notices, meaning arrest warrants remain unenforceable abroad. The junta’s leadership continues to travel freely, while their forces continue to commit crimes with impunity. 

Legal tools exist, States must use them 

Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is collapsing. The recent U.S. decision to suspend funding to operations in Myanmar has already led to life-threatening gaps in assistance, including in health care and food distribution. Aid groups are reporting increased malnutrition, rising school dropout rates, and heightened risks of gender-based violence. More than 150,000 people from ethnic minorities have fled across the border into Bangladesh in the past 18 months, the UNHCR said, and over 108,000 more are living in camps along the border in Northern Thailand. This is where we met with Ma Cho, who fled Myanmar after surviving grave abuses. This is what she told us: 

“To attain justice at this moment is truly hard. For women who suffered from violence during armed conflicts in Myanmar, justice seems to exist only on the paper. We are on the verge of losing faith. I can say firmly that only if we can uproot the SAC (the military), rule of law can be established in new State and as a ripple effect, justice will be attained.” 

The international community cannot afford to turn away. The junta has announced plans for so-called elections later this year – sham elections designed to entrench military control and whitewash its abuses. These must be denounced unequivocally and publicly. Sanctions against the military regime must be enforced, not just in name but in practice—particularly by targeting companies and banks that continue to profit from military-linked ventures. States must act to cut the junta’s access to aviation fuel, which enables the indiscriminate bombings that have claimed so many civilian lives. Moreover, they must initiate structural investigations and adopt national legislation to pursue Universal Jurisdiction, ensuring perpetrators of grave violations in international laws are prosecuted and held accountable.  

In an encouraging development, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a landmark resolution in July explicitly calling for reparations for victims of atrocity crimes in Myanmar. Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) continues to engage bilaterally with member states to advocate for such innovative financing approaches to reparative measures which include and encompass ongoing violations. Coupled with international arrest warrants, such tools provide a foundation for real accountability. But the burden of action falls squarely on the shoulders of member states. Civil society members and human rights actors, including LAW, have painstakingly documented evidence of crimes for the intended use of pursuing justice and legal accountability. Now, it is up to political leaders to ensure that justice is not just a principle, but a lived reality.

In a statement before the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, LAW urged member states to respond to this call to action by continuing to enforce sanctions against individuals and entities supporting the Myanmar military, and by utilizing or adopting necessary legislation to enable investigations and prosecution of international crimes under domestic jurisdictions.  

The Myanmar people have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of oppression. From the seats of ethnic resistance strongholds to the refugee camps of Bangladesh and the streets of Yangon, they continue to demand freedom, dignity, and justice. They cannot do this alone. International justice is not abstract. It is a tool to prevent further atrocities—and in Myanmar, it may be the last line of defense for millions.