Myanmar’s military was responsible for at least 702 civilian deaths, including 224 women and 153 children, during a six-month period surrounding the country’s controversial election process, according to a new UN report.
The report by the UN Human Rights Office covers August 2025 to January 2026, after the military government announced elections that were widely criticised as lacking credibility because major opposition parties were excluded.
According to the report, air strikes remained the leading cause of civilian casualties and destruction. The central region of Sagaing was identified as the deadliest area for civilians, with 191 people killed.
Myanmar military air strike on a tea shop kills 18 watching a football match on TV
Among the incidents documented was an October air strike in Chaung-U Township that killed 23 people, including four children, during a Buddhist Lent celebration and political gathering. In December, a military aircraft bombed a tea shop in Tabayin Township where residents were watching a football match, killing at least 19 people and injuring 20 others.
The report also cited abuses against Rohingya civilians, including forced recruitment, killings, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that declining international aid was worsening conditions for millions of people affected by the conflict.
Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war since the military seized power in a 2021 coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced, while large parts of the country remain under the control of armed resistance groups.
