The United Nations warns that the human rights situation in Myanmar has sunk to a new low, noting ongoing military violence alongside illegal mining, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and online scam centers that worsen the crisis.
On 26 August 2026, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report stating that Myanmar's already dire human rights situation is plummeting to a new low, marked by military violence, Rohingya rights violations, and expanding illegal economic activities.
The report covers the period from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026, noting that people nationwide continue to suffer hardship and brutality at multiple levels, while the military employs air operations, arson, and forced displacement to instill fear and control the population, using advanced technology to increase surveillance.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on all countries, companies, and investors to reassess their actions or inaction, and to consider whether what is happening is just or fair to the people of Myanmar.
The report further states that both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group, are accused of widespread and systematic human rights violations against the Rohingya. Meanwhile, illegal economies—mining, drug production, human trafficking, and online scam centers—have become funding sources sustaining the conflict.
Source: Irrawaddy