UN reports widescale war crimes by Myanmar junta against rebels

The use of force against the Myanmar population by the country's military has increased, the UN body investigating human rights violations in the country said in a report, released on Tuesday, about the 12 months ending in June.

"There is substantial evidence that brutal war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military have escalated at an alarming rate across the country," the report said.

Myanmar has descended into violent chaos since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's elected leader, in February 2021. Various rebel groups have mounted attacks on the military with considerable success.

Suu Kyi, 79, who was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, is currently serving a lengthy prison term.

The report said its findings were based on information and evidence collected from more than 900 sources, including more than 400 eyewitness testimonies, and additional evidence such as photographs, videos, audio material, documents, maps, geospatial imagery, social media posts and forensic evidence.

"Thousands of people have been arrested and many tortured or killed in detention. There is abundant evidence of systematic torture, including severe physical and mental abuse such as beatings, electric shocks, strangulations and sleep deprivation," it says.

"There is also evidence of gang rape, the burning of sexual body parts and other violent sexual and gender-based crimes committed in detention. The victims include people of all genders and ages, including children," it adds.

The junta had resorted to airstrikes on schools, religious buildings and hospitals, the report said, detailing physical mutilation of those detained during the conflict, "including beheadings and public displays of disfigured and sexually mutilated bodies."