War crimes committed by Myanmar’s military, including bombings of civilians, have become “increasingly frequent and blatant,” a group of United Nations (UN) investigators said in a document released on Tuesday.
The Independent Investigation Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) report, covering the period between July 2022 and June 2023, says there is “strong evidence that the Myanmar Army and its affiliated militias have committed three types of war crimes related to combat with increasing frequency and effrontery”.
The crimes include indiscriminately or disproportionately targeting civilians using bombs and burning civilian homes and buildings, sometimes resulting in the destruction of entire villages, he said.
The report also cited “killings of civilians or detained combatants during the operations”.
“Our evidence points to a dramatic increase in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country, with widespread and systematic attacks against civilians, and we are building case files that can be used by courts to hold individual perpetrators accountable,” he said. said Nicholas Koumjian. , head of the IIMM.
Since a military junta took power two years ago, Myanmar has descended into chaos, with a resistance movement battling the military on multiple fronts after a bloody crackdown on opponents that saw Western countries reimpose sanctions.
A junta spokesman could not be reached to comment on the findings of the UN investigators.
The junta has previously denied the atrocities, saying it is waging a legitimate campaign against terrorists.
While justifying the bombings as attacks on military targets, UN investigators said the Myanmar military “should have known or knew” that large numbers of civilians were in or around the alleged targets when the attacks took place. .
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
