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The
report by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM),
which covered the period between July 2022 and June 2023, said
there was "strong evidence that the Myanmar military and its
affiliate militias have committed three types of combat-related
war crimes with increasing frequency and brazenness".
These crimes include the indiscriminate or disproportionate
targeting of civilians using bombs and the burning of civilian
homes and buildings, resulting at times in the destruction of
entire villages, it said.
The report also cited "killings of civilians or combatants
detained during operations".
"Our evidence points to a dramatic increase in war crimes and
crimes against humanity in the country, with widespread and
systematic attacks against civilians, and we are building case
files that can be used by courts to hold individual perpetrators
responsible," said Nicholas Koumjian, head of the IIMM.
Since a junta seized power two years ago, Myanmar has been
plunged into chaos, with a resistance movement fighting the
military on multiple fronts after a bloody crackdown on
opponents that saw Western countries re-impose sanctions.
A spokesperson for the junta could not be reached for comment on
the findings made by U.N. investigators.
The junta has previously denied atrocities have taken place,
saying it is carrying out a legitimate campaign against
terrorists.
Although it has justified bombings as attacks against military
targets, UN investigators said the Myanmar military "should have
known or did know" that a large number of civilians were in or
around the alleged targets when the attacks took place.
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Thu Thu Aung;
Editing by Gareth Jones)
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