At least 139 civilians, including 18 children, were killed in 530 aerial attacks carried out by the Myanmar military across 13 states and regions during August, the National Unity Government (NUG) reported on Thursday.
The NUG report added that 68 civilians, including seven children, were killed across eight distinct mass killings executed by regime forces in Chin, Karenni, and Arakan states, as well as Sagaing Region.
August atrocities and destruction metrics
During August alone, opposition researchers documented 528 human rights violations committed nationwide by regime forces, highlighting systematic targeting of non-combatant infrastructure:
August 2026 Atrocities Summary
├── Aerial Attacks Recorded: 530 strikes across 13 states and regions
├── Civilian Air Strike Toll: 139 killed (including 18 children)
├── Mass Killing Toll: 68 killed (including 7 children) in 8 separate massacres
└── Infrastructure Destroyed:
├── Residential Homes: 126
├── Religious Buildings: 17
├── Educational Facilities: 10
└── Medical Facilities: 4
Beyond property destruction, documented violations include extrajudicial executions, forced labor, and arbitrary detentions carried out as part of ongoing military counteroffensives.
Appeal to UN leadership and historical post-coup metrics
Addressing the United Nations, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun submitted an Aug. 21 letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres detailing the military’s escalating violence against civilians.
| Benchmark Category | Post-Coup Cumulative Total (Since Feb 2021) |
|---|---|
| Total Civilian Fatalities | Over 8,300 citizens killed by regime forces |
| Arbitrary Detentions | Over 31,500 individuals incarcerated for political opposition |
| Documented Rights Violations | 26,668 cases recorded by NUG human rights researchers |
| UN Evidence Submissions | 566 case files submitted to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) |
“The scale and pattern of these atrocities constitute grave violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law,” Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stated in his appeal to the U.N. chief.
Dissolution of MOHR and transition to independent commission
The publication of the August metrics follows a structural reorganization within the opposition administration. On Aug. 21, the NUG formally dissolved its Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR).
Originally established on May 3, 2021, to track regime abuses and assist international justice mechanisms, the MOHR is slated to be replaced by an independent human rights commission at an unannounced future date.
Until the transition is complete, existing reporting channels continue to archive evidence for submission to the International Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), a U.N. body established in 2018 with the mandate to collect and preserve evidence of serious international crimes committed in Myanmar since 2011, to support long-term criminal accountability.
