Myanmar's military-backed government is intentionally attacking civilians to terrorise them and force them into submission, a United Nations rights investigator said, as a new UN report put the number of civilians killed by the military since the 2021 coup at at least 8,384 up to 15 September 2026.

Source: UN News

Special Rapporteur Kelley Anne Eckels-Currie told journalists the situation in Myanmar remains “catastrophic”, the Associated Press reported. She said it was worrying that countries in the region and beyond are engaging with the government without asking for anything in return, such as a reduction in violence, freedom for thousands of political prisoners and dialogue toward peace.

Source: Associated Press

8,384civilians killed by the military since the 2021 coup, up to 15 September 2026
753civilians killed during the regime's 100-day period, 20 April to 31 July 2026
89%share of those 100-day civilian deaths attributed to the military and paramilitary forces

“These are not accidents,” Ms Eckels-Currie said. “This is intentional infliction of harm on civilian populations for the purpose of terrorising them and trying to force them into submission.” The report found the military continues to use airstrikes and artillery against civilian infrastructure, including schools, healthcare facilities, religious buildings, markets and displacement camps, despite a so-called “100-day peace plan” between 20 April and 31 July during which, she found, the situation only deteriorated.

Aid blocked under 'Four Cuts'

The strategy is rooted in the “Four Cuts” doctrine — severing food, resources, humanitarian access and support networks from any area resisting the regime — the Special Rapporteur noted. She found the military deliberately obstructs aid through telecommunications blackouts, movement restrictions and checkpoints, and that aid workers face harassment, arbitrary detention, torture and killings, including three humanitarian workers reportedly tortured and killed in the southeastern city of Dawei in July 2026.

A 'conflict economy' now drives the war

Myanmar's growing illicit economy has become a major driver of the conflict rather than simply a consequence of it, the report warned. As the formal economy shrinks, online scam centres, illegal mining, human trafficking and forced labour are filling the gap, and black-market profits are helping finance the military's weapons purchases, including from China and Russia, and sustain loyalty within the junta's ranks. Chinese transnational criminal networks provide the “backbone” of most criminal enterprises in Myanmar, using cryptocurrency platforms such as Tether and social media including TikTok, Meta and X, she said, while corruption in neighbouring countries enables cross-border trafficking.

Myanmar has been in civil war since the military overthrew the democratically elected government in February 2021, triggering widespread armed resistance. The Special Rapporteur also noted the difficulty of disrupting criminal networks without harming civilians: efforts to cut off Starlink internet access to scam centres have also left humanitarian organisations and local communities without vital connectivity.