A new report from the United Nations Human Rights Office reveals that Myanmar's military killed at least 702 civilians during the six-month election period from August 2023 to January 2024. The victims include 224 women and 153 children.

The elections, announced by the military junta that seized power in a 2021 coup, were widely condemned as a sham, with major opposition parties barred from participating. Large swathes of the country were unable to vote due to the ongoing civil war.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk expressed alarm: “As if the people of Myanmar have not suffered enough at the hands of the military, they have now seemingly been forgotten by those outside the country.” He warned that declining international assistance is compounding the suffering of millions.

Airstrikes remain the single largest cause of destruction and suffering, according to the report. The Sagaing region was the most dangerous for civilians, with 191 deaths, including 60 women and 30 children.

In October, an attack on civilians gathered in front of a school in Chaung-U killed 23 people, including four children. In December, a military aircraft bombed a tea shop in Tabayin, killing at least 19 and wounding 20 others.

The report also documents abuses against Rohingya people, including forced recruitment by the Arakan Army, killings, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence.

In April, General Min Aung Hlaing, who launched the 2021 coup, became president. The election was a foregone conclusion, with the military's USDP party winning nearly 80% of contested seats, and the armed forces guaranteed a quarter of parliamentary seats.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk