ND Burma
ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.
Recent Posts
- ASEAN Must Unequivocally Reject Myanmar Junta’s Sham Election during the Summit
- 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐚 (𝐍𝐃-𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐚)
- 2 local women killed, 2 injured in Mongngawt Myoma Market bombing
- Junta Intensifies Airstrikes Across Shan, Hitting Four Townships in First Week of October
- Bombs to Ballots: Myanmar Junta’s Bloody Race for Recognition
Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – on the eighth anniversary of the displacement of Rohingya people and other communities from Myanmar
/in News22 August 2025
Eight years since their forced mass displacement from Rakhine State, Rohingya people in and outside of Myanmar are facing a further deterioration of their already dire circumstances.
In Rakhine State, Rohingya and other civilians are caught in the crossfire between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army and subjected to forced recruitment, human rights violations and other abuse. Continued violence has forced more Rohingya to flee, including into Bangladesh, already generously hosting over 1.1 million refugees from Myanmar. Reports of pushbacks, removals and deportations across the region raise serious concerns over potential violations of the principle of non-refoulement and shrinking asylum space. Funding cuts are severely curtailing education, food assistance, healthcare, livelihood opportunities and protection services.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the protection of all civilians in accordance with applicable obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. He recalls his visit to Cox’s Bazar earlier this year, where he witnessed the resilience of Rohingya communities and stressed the urgent need for strengthened international solidarity and increased support, in parallel to efforts toward a comprehensive political solution that meaningfully includes the Rohingya and addresses their displacement and the root causes of the protracted crisis.
The Secretary-General is hopeful that the 30 September High–level Conference on Rohingya and other minorities in New York, as mandated by the United Nations General Assembly, will draw renewed international attention to the urgency of finding durable solutions.
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar continues to engage all stakeholders toward the cessation of violence and a viable Myanmar-led political process to build conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of the Rohingya people to Myanmar.
Junta’s artillery and air assaults kill villager and injures five in Kyike Hto
/in NewsHURFOM: From August 9th to 11th, 2025, despite there being no active armed clashes in the area, the military junta launched air assaults and small and heavy weapon attacks on villages in Kyike Hto Township.
The Karen National Union (KNU) released a statement on August 19th stating that the military junta’s attacks killed a villager and injured five others.
At 9 am on August 9th, a YAK-130 aircraft dropped a bomb on Pane Nell Gone village, Pyin Ga Doe village tract, Kyike Hto Township even though there was no active armed clash at the time of attack. That attack killed a villager and injured four others.
The junta’s airstrike destroyed five houses, three family vans and three motorbikes, according to the KNU statement.
Pane Nell Gone village is under the control of the Brigade #1 of the Thaton District KNU and the air assault has forced hundreds of villagers to flee.
At noon on August 11th, again there were no active armed clashes, but the 44th Light Infantry Command launched a 120-mm artillery attack targeting Win Taung and Kyauk Pone villages, Kyauk Lone Gyi village tract, Kyike Hto Township. The artillery shell exploded at the workplace of local villagers.
At about 3:30 pm on August 11th, the joint forces of the 8th and the 3rd Light Infantry Battalions advanced into Chaung Pyant village, Kyike Hto Township and shot indiscriminately with small weapons. 30-year-old Naw Pan Kyi was injured after being shot in the back.
Naw Pan Kyi was admitted to the Thaton Township General Hospital for further treatment.
According to data collected by HURFOM, from January to July, 2025, the junta’s airstrikes and artillery attacks have killed 131 innocent civilians and injured 264 others in the Mon, Karen and Tenasserim regions.
𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐎 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐰𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭y
/in Member statements𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞
𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐎 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐰𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭y
20 August 2025: The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) strongly condemns the latest airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar military junta on 17 and 19 August 2025 in Mawchi, Hpasawng Township, Karenni State. At least 26 civilians were killed, with more injured and unaccounted for, after the junta deliberately targeted a hospital, homes, and a kindergarten. These attacks constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The timing of these atrocities—occurring alongside the junta’s announcement of sham elections—underscores the regime’s calculated strategy of inflicting mass violence on civilians while seeking to legitimize its illegitimate rule. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and his clique continue to display a boundless disregard for human life, emboldened by a misguided sense of impunity.
“These attacks are part of a nationwide pattern of aerial terror. From Karenni to Chin State and across Myanmar, the junta’s warplanes have destroyed homes, schools, churches, and entire communities. Innocent people are being slaughtered while the international community fails to act decisively,” said Salai Za Uk Ling, CHRO’s Executive Director.
CHRO expresses deep solidarity with the Karenni people and all communities enduring the junta’s atrocities. The suffering of Karenni families burying their loved ones mirrors the grief of Chin civilians who have lost children and entire families to similar airstrikes.
The international community must take urgent action to end the junta’s impunity. CHRO reiterates calls for:
• Referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court;
• A global arms embargo, including an immediate ban on aviation fuel;
• Stronger, coordinated sanctions targeting the military’s sources of power.
ASEAN, in particular, must not remain silent. ASEAN member states must unequivocally condemn these heinous crimes and demonstrate that impunity for atrocities will not be tolerated in the region.
The people of Myanmar cannot wait. Justice must be delivered, and accountability must be enforced.
For more information please contact:
Salai Za Uk Ling, Executive Director, CHRO (English) at (Signal) +91 87988 37474
Salai Mang Hre Lian, Human Rights Program Manager, CHRO (Burmese) + 919612854821
Three civilians injured by airstrikes in northern Shan State; At least 22 killed by repeated strikes on Karenni State
/in NewsThree civilians injured by airstrikes in northern Shan State
Residents of Hsipaw Township in northern Shan State told DVB that three civilians were injured and seven homes in two neighborhoods were destroyed by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Monday. Hsipaw, located 46 miles (74 km) south of the regional capital Lashio, was seized by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) on Oct. 13, 2024.
“Two 500-pound bombs were dropped during the airstrikes. They intentionally targeted civilians,” a Hsipaw resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity, blaming regime forces for the attack. The targeting of civilians is considered a war crime under international law. Residents added that the three injured civilians were taken to hospital.
The TNLA claimed that a total of 22 civilians have been killed and 20 have been injured by previous airstrikes in Hsipaw on Aug. 3 and 9. Nearly 50 homes have been destroyed by airstrikes in Hsipaw and Kyaukme townships of northern Shan this month, according to the TNLA. On Aug. 17, three civilians were killed by airstrikes on Mandalay’s Mogok town, which was seized by the TNLA last year.
Naypyidaw sets date for elections to begin on December 28
The regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on Monday that its general elections will begin on Dec. 28, with specific dates for polls in January 2026 to be announced later. Nay Phone Latt, the National Unity Government (NUG) Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson, spoke to DVB about the regime elections in an exclusive interview on Aug. 17.
“We call this upcoming process an illegal, sham election. It’s not because we oppose elections itself, but because the authority to organize elections belongs to a legitimate government entrusted by the people — not the military, which seized power illegally. The regime lacks both legitimacy and capability. They don’t have the ability to hold such an election. We already have the results of the 2020 election,” he told DVB.
In 2020, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a second landslide victory after taking power with an overwhelming majority in 2015. It was accused of voter fraud by pro-military parties in 2020 and ousted from the government in a coup d’état orchestrated by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing before parliament could convene on Feb. 1, 2021. His regime usurped state power in Naypyidaw. Read more
At least 22 killed by repeated strikes on Karenni State
Residents of Mawchi town in Karenni State told DVB that airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force have killed at least 22 civilians, including five children, and injured 17 others in Hpasawng Township on Sunday. Mawchi is located 84 miles (135 km) southeast of the Karenni State capital Loikaw.
The strike came just hours after a previous attack injured one child and destroyed a hospital and staff housing. “Everyone was in their homes, which led to the high number of casualties,” Banyar Aung, the Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC) second secretary, told DVB. The IEC is a provisional government established in 2023 by Karenni resistance groups to oppose the regime which seized power during the 2021 military coup.
Twenty-nine civilians were killed and over 60 were injured in at least eight airstrikes on Mawchi so far this year, according to Karenni resistance forces. The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) seized control of Mawchi in January 2024. It is home to Burma’s largest tin and tungsten mining operations. Read more
News by Region
KARENNI—The Karenni IEC told DVB that regime elections scheduled to begin in December would be “impossible” in Loikaw, Bawlakhe, and Hpasawng townships, which are under regime control. Demoso, Shadaw, Hpruso and Mese townships are under Karenni resistance control.
Banyar Aung told DVB that the election may be possible with online voting as there are at least 210,000 residents living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, according to a Karenni Human Rights Group report on Feb. 3. The state has seven out of Burma’s 330 constituencies.
KAREN—A source close to the regime administration in Myawaddy Township told DVB that there was a temporary suspension placed on all imports at the No. 2 Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge on Monday. Myawaddy is located 81 miles (130 km) east of the state capital Hpa-An.
The source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that hundreds of cargo trucks have been stranded on the Thai side of the border due to inspections, which began on the Burma side on Aug. 14. The regime’s Foreign Exchange Supervisory Committee announced restrictions on Aug. 13.
MANDALAY—Residents of Mogok Township told DVB that the TNLA released 84 ethnic Gurkhas on Aug. 14. The TNLA began recruiting 18 to 45 year-old males in the town in March. Mogok, located 129 miles (207 km) northeast of Mandalay, came under TNLA control on July 24, 2024.
Lway Yay Oo, the TNLA spokesperson, denied the use of forced recruitment of Gurkhas in Mogok. She claimed that some serve in its local administration. An ethnic Gurkha told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the TNLA detains family members until recruits show up for service.
TANINTHARYI—Residents of Kawthaung Township told DVB that an unknown number out of 99 deported from Thailand, after release from jail in Ranong, have been taken by local authorities upon their return on Thursday. Kawthaung is located 406 miles (653 km) south of the region’s capital Dawei.
A Kawthaung resident told DVB that 84 men and 15 women arrived from Thailand, adding that this was the first time women were taken by the authorities. Resistance forces claimed that they were taken to the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 262 and transported to Myeik and Palaw for military conscription.
DVB News
21 civilians killed in Myanmar junta airstrike on Mogok
/in NewsAt least 21 civilians, including a pregnant woman and a child, were killed when junta forces carried out an airstrike on Mogok town in Mandalay Region, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said on 15 August.
The TNLA said the attack struck Lin Yaung Chi Monastery in Shwe Ku Ward at around 8:30 pm on 14 August. A source close to the group said nine bodies were recovered that night, with 10 more found by late morning on 15 August. Two of the injured later died, bringing the death toll to 21.
“The bodies are lying under collapsed two-story houses. Some are in pieces, making it impossible to determine their gender at this stage,” the source said.
Among the victims was a woman in her 30s who died alongside her baby as she was being taken to a doctor due to childbirth complications.
Local residents said the number of casualties was high because people had gathered to attend the childbirth when the bombs struck.
“We found more bodies this morning — over 20 so far. All the victims are civilians. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing,” one resident said.
The victims were set to be buried on the afternoon of 15 August.
Just days earlier, on 9 August, a junta airstrike on eastern Mogok killed five people, including a monk.
According to a joint statement issued on 13 August by six Ta’ang civil society groups, including the Ta’ang Women’s Organization, airstrikes from June to 13 August killed 56 civilians, including 13 children, in TNLA-controlled townships such as Kutkai, Hsipaw, Monglon, Mongngok, Kyaukme, and Nawnghkio.
The Ta’ang Civil Society Network has called for an immediate halt to the supply of military equipment, including jet fuel, to the junta. It urged countries cooperating with the regime to impose sanctions and pressed for its prosecution at the International Criminal Court, while calling on the UN and the international community to work with federal and local authorities to deliver humanitarian aid.
BNI
Myanmar Mechanism advances its identification of perpetrators – Annual Report
/in NewsGeneva, 12 August 2025 – The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (Mechanism) has made important progress in collecting evidence of crimes against people detained by the Myanmar military authorities and in establishing the identity of perpetrators of these crimes, as outlined in its Annual Report, released today. The crimes include torture and sexual violence.
“We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities,” said Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Mechanism. “We have made headway in identifying the perpetrators, including the commanders who oversee these facilities, and we stand ready to support any jurisdictions willing and able to prosecute these crimes.”
The Report, which focuses on the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, details the documented torture in Myanmar’s detention facilities which includes beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, gang rape, burning of sexual body parts and other forms of sexual violence. The Mechanism has made advances in identifying individuals involved in operations at specified detention facilities and the security force units to which they belong.
The Mechanism has also collected evidence identifying perpetrators who have summarily executed captured combatants or civilians accused of being informers. These killings have been perpetrated both by the Myanmar security forces and affiliated militias and by opposition armed groups.
The Report also details the Mechanism’s intensified investigations into air attacks on schools, homes and hospitals which have injured and killed civilians, including in the days following the deadly March 2025 earthquake when rescue operations were still ongoing. The Mechanism is analysing the composition of the Myanmar Air Force and its chain of command to identify the perpetrators involved.
“Our Report highlights a continued increase in the frequency and brutality of atrocities committed in Myanmar,” said Koumjian. “We are working towards the day when the perpetrators will have to answer for their actions in a court of law.”
The Mechanism has opened new investigations into atrocities committed against various communities in Rakhine State as the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army battle for control of the territory. In parallel, the Mechanism continues to investigate earlier crimes committed by the Myanmar security forces during the 2016 and 2017 clearance operations against the Rohingya, focusing on evidence which establishes a link between the actions of specific individuals and the crimes committed.
The findings outlined in the Report are based on information collected from more than 1,300 sources, including almost 600 eyewitness testimonies, and additional evidence such as photographs, videos, audio material, documents, maps, geospatial imagery, social media posts and forensic evidence.
The Mechanism is proactively sharing relevant evidence and analysis with authorities working on ongoing cases concerning the Rohingya at the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and in Argentina, and is also responding to specific requests for information, including from the United Kingdom.
The evidence provided by the Mechanism contributed to the investigations underlying the November 2024 request by the ICC Prosecutor for an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar military. Evidence shared by the Mechanism was also used by the Investigative Judge for the Argentine Federal District Court in Buenos Aires who, in February this year, ordered arrest warrants summoning Min Aung Hlaing and 24 other individuals to appear before her.
While the number of serious international crimes in Myanmar continues to increase, the Mechanism’s access to resources needed to investigate the crimes has significantly diminished due to the United Nations’ funding and liquidity crisis. The Mechanism continues to explore all strategies to conduct its work as efficiently and effectively as possible.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM or Mechanism) was created by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect and analyse evidence of the most serious international crimes and other violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011. It aims to facilitate justice and accountability by preserving and organizing this evidence and preparing analysis that can be used by authorities to prosecute individuals in national, regional and international courts.
IIMM