The U.N. Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) released a report on Tuesday that has documented evidence that human rights abuses committed by the military against civilians have escalated over the past year. 

“We have collected substantial evidence showing horrific levels of brutality and inhumanity across Myanmar. Many crimes have been committed with an intent to punish and induce terror in the civilian population,” said Nicholas Koumjian, the head of the IIMM. 

“No one has been held accountable for any crimes, which emboldens perpetrators and deepens the culture of impunity in the country. We are trying to break this cycle. I believe the [IIMM] has made considerable progress in building criminal cases against those most responsible for these crimes,” he added.

Koumjian highlighted the use of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and arson attacks in Myanmar since the 2021 coup. The military has carried out airstrikes on civilian buildings more in the past year than in the previous three years, according to IIMM records.

Its report was based on photographs, videos, eyewitness accounts, social media posts, audio, and other pieces of evidence that were collected between July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. Violence has substantially escalated across the country since the Brotherhood Alliance launched Operation 1027 on Oct. 27.

One of the human rights abuses that the IMM investigated was a video that was posted on social media that showed two resistance fighters burned alive by pro-military forces in a village located in Magway Region last year.

While the IIMM found that the vast majority of violence against civilians was committed by the military and its allies, resistance forces are also suspected of committing human rights violations. This includes the summary execution of civilians accused of collaborating with the military. 

Investigators also saw a video that showed resistance fighters beheading two regime soldiers that were captured during fighting in Loikaw, the capital of Karenni State, late last year. 

Koumjian called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member state, to respond to these alleged war crimes committed by the military by applying pressure on the regime in Naypyidaw. 

ASEAN and regime leader Min Aung Hlaing signed the Five-Point Consensus, which called for an immediate end to all violence, the release of all political prisoners, and dialogue among parties to Myanmar’s conflict, in April 2021.

“It’s time for ASEAN to put some bite into its consensus. It’s not enough simply to say we support ending the violence, there have to be steps taken to ensure that, in fact, the violence has ended,” added Koumjian.

The IIMM was established by the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2018 to investigate international crimes committed by the military against Rohingya in northern Arakan State, but it was later expanded to include all human rights abuses that are being committed in Myanmar.