Rohingyas in Myanmar suffering ‘heartbreaking’ misery and cruelty

Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the situation facing Myanmar’s Rohingya minority as involving “suffering, misery, and cruelty on multiple levels,” as a new UN fact-finding report documented severe human rights declines. The report, covering June 2025 to May 2026, highlights intensified abuses by both the military and the Arakan Army, including denial of humanitarian aid and airstrikes in civilian areas, particularly in Rakhine State where the military has lost ground.

The military, responsible for the 2017 crackdown that displaced over 740,000 Rohingya, has forcibly conscripted around 125,000 people, including Rohingya, subjecting many to physical abuse, forced alcohol consumption, and denial of rest. Meanwhile, the Arakan Army, which controls much of Rakhine, has committed widespread abuses against Rohingya, including land seizures, forced labor in detention camps, and extreme torture methods such as burning with matches and removing fingernails.

The report also details Myanmar’s expansion of illicit economies since the 2021 coup, including becoming the world’s largest producer of opium and synthetic drugs, alongside multi-billion-dollar scam industries and unregulated mining. These activities have fueled conflict financing, strengthened transnational criminal networks, and degraded the environment, while women and girls face heightened risks of sexual violence and exploitation in sectors like mining.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that nine years after the mass displacement of Rohingya, they continue to face “deepening insecurity, shrinking protection space, and diminishing prospects for durable solutions,” compounded by reduced funding for life-saving assistance in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and across the region.