Status of Human Rights & Sanctions in Myanmar: December 2024 Report – Myanmar
This report provides a chilling account of the state of human rights in Myanmar as of December 2024, capturing the turmoil following the coup.
Amidst growing unrest, the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force published a harrowing video on December 2, revealing captured junta soldiers who confessed to being drugged with methamphetamines. One soldier, Poe Htoo, disclosed that these drugs were provided by superiors, leading to feelings of enslavement and a desperate yearning for escape. The video paints a grim picture of military personnel trapped in a cycle of addiction and oppression.
In a sinister twist on December 5, Radio Free Asia reported that junta officials are seizing young men, demanding exorbitant ransoms from families to prevent forced conscription. Families are being asked to pay over USD$3,000—often pocketed by corrupt officials—highlighting the mercenary tactics employed by the regime. Civilian Peoples Defence Forces have condemned these ransom schemes, indicating that junta-affiliated militias are complicit in this exploitation.
The situation has grown increasingly dire in urban areas. Citizens in Yangon lament the loss of bribery as a means to escape conscription, with one resident stating, “deals are no longer available;” the junta is now aggressively targeting healthy young men. These accounts echo a similar sentiment in Mandalay, where the willingness to accept bribes has vanished entirely under the regime’s tightening grip.
Tragedy struck on November 30 when the Ta’ang National Liberation Army reported a devastating airstrike in Kyaukme Township. Approximately ten civilians were killed, although exact figures remain unconfirmed. The junta targeted a civilian ward, dropping two 500-lb bombs and wreaking havoc—damaging over 20 homes and echoing the horrors faced by ordinary citizens caught in the crossfire of conflict.
The December 2024 report on human rights in Myanmar details the ongoing abuses in the wake of the coup. Captured soldiers were revealed to be drugged with methamphetamines, while officials are extorting families to spare their children from forced conscription. Tragic airstrikes have also caused civilian deaths, showcasing the pervasive violence and desperation faced by the populace.
The report starkly reveals the harrowing consequences of the military coup in Myanmar, marked by rampant human rights abuses, forced conscriptions, and escalating violence. The exploitative tactics employed by junta officials highlight a desperate situation for families, while airstrikes continue to claim innocent lives amidst a backdrop of military aggression. In sum, this turmoil underscores the grim reality for the people of Myanmar as they endure these painful struggles.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
