The 57th Session of the Human Rights Council is running from Sept. 9 to Oct. 11. One of the reports published as part of the conference is on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

Myanmar has been in a state of civil war since 2021 when a military coup overthrew the second Aung San Suu Kiy government shortly after elections. As the military established a government, many small civil militias formed to oppose the junta rule. Now, three years later, these militias number over a hundred distinct groups, making Myanmar one of the most fractured nations in the world. They represent the many different ethnicities that make up Myanmar, with the most notable ones being the Karen, Karenni and the Burmese.

As a consequence of the coup, neighboring countries, especially Thailand, have seen a great influx of refugees from Myanmar. As of 2022, the UNHCR reported that only 9% of the organizations and camps working with the refugees in Thailand have received funding, leaving 91% in critical condition. The refugee crisis was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its most recent report, the Human Rights Council warns about serious human rights violations in Myanmar. Since the last report from Feb. 2023, the agency reports a steep increase in violence and armed conflicts perpetuated by the junta. It also details the involvement of law enforcement in carrying out unlawful arrests. A main concern of the agency is also the restrictions on the use of internet and other digital technologies that the military imposed on the citizens, which lead to a lack of information about protective measures and safe zones. Along with the almost complete internet blackout, the citizens of Myanmar face great obstacles in carrying out economic activities, leading to a great decline of 12% in the past year in the country’s GDP and many families living with less than 76 U.S. dollar cents per day. Civilian casualties (counting only the casualties of people not involved in the civil militias) also continued to rise over the reporting period at an alarming rate. The report also details the horrific conditions of detainees in the junta-controlled prisons and condemns the interrogations and control tactics of law enforcement.

On Sept. 26, the junta called on the militias to join the upcoming general elections in 2025. The act was called the “first olive branch offering” by the military to the resistance groups since the coup in 2021. The offer for negotiations and party formation was swiftly refused by the leaders of the bigger militias. Many citizens have discredited the organized elections as a sham, but there are 27 parties already registered, who have denounced the actions of civil militants.

The Human Rights report concludes with 20 recommendations for the Myanmar government and other legal entities and stresses the “gravity and pervasiveness of the human rights crisis created by the military’s actions in Myanmar.” It also highlights the long-lasting effects of the conflict, which will only be remedied with a complete change in governance and with international and local entities holding the ones responsible for the coup and subsequent civil war accountable.