CSW calls for decisive action after four years of military rule

CSW has called on the international community to take decisive action as Myanmar/Burma marks four years under military rule following the coup of 1 February 2021.

Since the coup, the military junta has arbitrarily detained over 28,000 people, disproportionately targeting religious minorities. Detainees endure extreme psychological and physical abuse, including torture and inhumane conditions in detention centres. In Christian-majority Chin, Kachin, Karen and Karenni States, the military’s counterinsurgency tactics have deliberately targeted civilians, religious leaders and places of worship, amounting to collective punishment.

According to a UN report, the military has killed at least 32 religious leaders, some through extrajudicial execution and others while in custody. Meanwhile, the junta has intensified digital repression—blocking VPNs and restricting internet access—to stifle independent reporting and obstruct global awareness of the severity of ongoing abuses.

The junta has weaponised rape and sexual violence as a tool of collective punishment, mirroring the 2017 atrocities committed against the predominantly Muslim and legally stateless Rohingya community which saw thousands killed, 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh and hundreds of villages burned. Reports indicate a concerning pattern of systematic sexual violence in conflict zones and detention centres.

In addition, forced conscription has further devastated Myanmar’s youth, compelling many to flee the country. Despite the regime’s claim that the draft does not include women at present, uncertainty persists. Rohingya and other marginalised groups have been coerced into service under false promises of citizenship, only to find themselves trapped in cycles of exploitation and violence. The death under suspicious circumstances of a Muslim conscript at a military training camp in Yangon on 31 March 2024 underscores the grim reality facing those forcibly recruited.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Senior General Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity against Rohingyas. However, activists maintain that this represents only a fraction of the junta’s crimes. Broader accountability measures and sustained international pressure are imperative to dismantle the military’s entrenched impunity.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘Myanmar’s oppressive military regime is crushing the country’s youth and religious minorities. Forced conscription is yet another tool of control, stripping young people of their future and fuelling cycles of violence. Despite escalating repression, the people of Myanmar continue to resist with extraordinary resilience. The international community must act decisively—not only to hold the junta accountable but to stand in solidarity with those risking everything for freedom, dignity and justice. Ongoing global pressure and an unwavering commitment to accountability are essential to forging a future for Myanmar in which human rights and the rule of law prevail.’