The United Nations has found compelling evidence of what it calls “systematic torture” inside Myanmar’s detention facilities, with senior military and security officials allegedly among those responsible, reported by Al Jazeera News.
The findings, released Tuesday by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), describe harrowing abuses — from beatings and electric shocks to strangulation and the removal of fingernails with pliers. Some detainees, the report notes, did not survive their treatment.
Children were among the victims, often detained unlawfully as stand-ins for missing parents. Despite more than two dozen requests for access and information, Myanmar’s military authorities have not responded to the UN investigators.
The yearlong probe, concluding June 30, drew on over 1,300 sources, including hundreds of eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence, photographs, and documents. While the IIMM confirmed it had identified high-ranking commanders implicated in the crimes, it withheld names to protect ongoing investigations.
The report also alleges that both Myanmar’s military and armed opposition groups carried out summary executions. Officials from neither side offered comment.
Myanmar has been gripped by turmoil since the February 2021 coup that ousted the elected civilian government, triggering a nationwide uprising and brutal military crackdown. The UN estimates tens of thousands have been detained as part of the junta’s effort to crush dissent.
Last month, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing ended a four-year state of emergency, appointing himself acting president ahead of planned elections.
The IIMM’s mandate covers atrocities dating back to 2011, including the 2017 campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority that forced hundreds of thousands into exile in Bangladesh. It is also assisting international legal proceedings, including cases in the UK.
However, the report warns that UN budget cuts could threaten its ability to pursue justice: “These financial pressures jeopardize our critical work,” it stated.
