Myanmar’s military has increasingly used low-cost aircraft such as motorized paragliders and gyrocopters in escalating aerial attacks that kill civilians in its conflict with armed resistance groups, said Nicholas Koumjian, the head of the U.N. Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), during his presentation of the IIMM 2026 Annual Report on Aug. 11.
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Koumjian presented the IIMM 2026 Annual Report, which details a pattern of deliberate aerial attacks on civilians, arbitrary detentions, torture and sexual violence committed by the Myanmar military. Crimes against civilians in the lead-up to the elections completed in January this year have continued unabated, he added. “Behind every piece of evidence we collect are people whose lives have been devastated by these crimes,” said Koumjian. “Communities across Myanmar are not only living under the constant threat of violence but are also coping with the profound and lasting impact of what they have endured. This underscores the urgent need to hold those responsible to account.” Covering the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, the IIMM 2026 Annual Report outlines investigations into aerial attacks targeting homes, schools, medical facilities, religious buildings and camps for internally displaced persons, causing deaths, injuries and destruction. The military’s increasing reliance on paramotors and drones has made attacks harder for civilians to detect, limiting their ability to flee or seek shelter. The IIMM has identified some of the military units responsible for these attacks. It has also collected and analyzed extensive evidence of arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence in military-run detention facilities, including cases linked to the 2025 law criminalizing criticism of the elections. Numerous individuals have been arrested under the law and face up to 20 years imprisonment and the death penalty for activities such as posting critical comments on social media. While most of the evidence collected by the IIMM concerns crimes committed by the Myanmar security forces and affiliated militias, it is also investigating alleged atrocities involving armed groups opposed to the military. For more information, visit iimm.un.org
