\n
Addressing the Human Rights Council on Friday, he detailed the devastating toll of the ongoing conflict and economic collapse on civilians \u2013 many of whom have been displaced by the fighting.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day the Council discussed the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, having heard a report from rights investigators serving on the Commission on Human Rights in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cConflict, displacement and economic collapse have combined to cause pain and misery across Myanmar and civilians are paying a terrible price<\/strong>,\u201d Mr. T\u00fcrk said.<\/p>\nThe number killed in violence last year was the highest since the military coup in 2021. Over 1,800 civilians were killed in 2024, many in indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery shelling, with attacks on schools, places of worship and healthcare facilities having become routine.<\/p>\n
Mr. T\u00fcrk condemned the military\u2019s brutal tactics, including beheadings, burnings, mutilations, and the use of human shields. He also noted that nearly 2,000 people have died in custody since the coup, most due to summary executions and torture.<\/p>\n
Deepening humanitarian crisis<\/h2>\n
Fighting between the junta forces and opposition armed groups has fuelled a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 3.5 million people displaced and 15 million facing hunger \u2013 two million of whom are at risk of famine.<\/p>\n
In Rakhine state, clashes between the military and the Arakan Army have intensified, with thousands of civilians killed and Rohingya communities caught in the crossfire. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2024, despite border restrictions. More than 8,000 fled by sea \u2013 an 80 per cent increase over 2023 \u2013 but at least 650 people, nearly half of them children, perished on the dangerous journey.<\/p>\n
Economic collapse<\/h2>\n
Myanmar\u2019s economic collapse has fuelled corruption and crime, with one global tracker ranking it the world\u2019s biggest nexus of organized crime<\/strong>. It remains the top producer of opium and a major manufacturer of synthetic drugs.<\/p>\nFurthermore, scam centres in eastern Myanmar have become notorious for human trafficking, where victims are coerced into cybercrime and subjected to torture, sexual violence, and forced labour.<\/p>\n
Military conscription<\/h2>\n
Mr. T\u00fcrk also condemned the junta\u2019s activation of military conscription laws, which have led to arbitrary arrests and forced recruitment, particularly targeting young men and women. Fear of conscription has driven many to flee the country<\/strong>, exposing them to trafficking and exploitation.<\/p>\n\u201cGiven the humanitarian, political and economic impacts fuelling instability across the region, the international community must do more<\/strong>,\u201d Mr. T\u00fcrk underscored.<\/p>\nHe reiterated his call for an arms embargo, coupled with targeted sanctions \u2013 including on jet fuel and dual-use goods \u2013 to better protect the people of Myanmar.<\/p>\n
He also stressed the need for accountability, citing efforts at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold Myanmar\u2019s military leaders accountable for atrocities.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
Displaced South Sudanese people arrive at a camp in Upper Nile State. (file)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
South Sudan: Leaders failing their own people<\/h2>\n
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan presented its latest report to the Human Rights Council earlier in Geneva, detailing widespread violations, including extrajudicial killings, forced recruitment of children and systematic sexual violence.<\/p>\n
Despite South Sudan winning independence over a decade ago and repeated commitments to peace during years of civil war, the Commission found that the same patterns of abuses persist, often implicating high-ranking officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is unconscionable that so many years after its independence, political leaders continue their violent contestations across the country and are abjectly failing the people of South Sudan<\/strong>,\u201d said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission.<\/p>\nExtreme ethnic violence<\/h2>\n
The report described the situation in Tambura, where armed forces and militias inflicted extreme violence along ethnic lines in 2024, reigniting tensions from the 2021 conflict.<\/p>\n
Political elites at both local and national levels have actively fuelled this violence while remaining in power despite past crimes.<\/p>\n
The Commission also raised alarms over the \u201cGreen Book\u201d law introduced in Warrap State in 2024, which authorizes extrajudicial executions for suspected cattle raiding and communal violence.<\/p>\n
Address corruption<\/h2>\n
South Sudan\u2019s leaders agreed in September 2024 to extend the transitional political arrangements by two years, citing funding constraints.<\/p>\n
The Commission\u2019s report noted that the government generated $3.5 billion in revenue between September 2022 and August 2024, while essential institutions \u2013 such as courts, schools, and hospitals \u2013 remain underfunded and civil servants go unpaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancing essential services and rule of law institutions requires an end to the corruption. The theft of national wealth robs citizens of justice, education, and healthcare,\u201d said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout addressing this systemic looting, no peace agreement will ever translate into meaningful change<\/strong>,\u201d he added.<\/p>\nThe Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. First established in March 2016, it has been renewed annually since. Its three Commissioners are not UN staff, they are not paid for their work and serve in an independent capacity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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