U.N. Member States Urged to Impose Global Embargo on Myanmar Military Junta for War Crimes

Strategic Insights -

Myanmar's military junta has been accused of committing war crimes, including deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, in Kachin and Karenni states. A new report by Fortify Rights names 22 junta commanders linked to the airstrikes and calls for a global embargo on jet fuel and arms to the junta. The report, "Crashing Down on Us": Myanmar Military Junta Aerial Attacks, War Crimes, and Impunity in Kachin and Karenni States, is based on 63 interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses, and humanitarian workers, as well as leaked military documents and open-source data.

Key Takeaways:

  • The report documents 22 junta commanders responsible for specific attacks on civilians and protected sites in Kachin and Karenni states, which killed and injured scores of civilians and destroyed schools, churches, homes, displacement camps, and a hospital.
  • The junta has used airstrikes to punish entire communities for military losses on the ground, resulting in war crimes under international law.
  • The report identifies eight military command centers and 12 military units linked to the airstrikes and artillery attacks, highlighting a chain of command involved in these attacks.
  • The junta's use of airstrikes has escalated in response to battlefield defeats, with the military controlling approximately 21% of Myanmar's territory by late 2024.
  • The report also highlights the role of aviation fuel, weapons, and military equipment suppliers, who may be complicit in the junta's war crimes.
  • Fortify Rights warns that lifting sanctions on junta-affiliated companies and individuals involved in the arms and jet fuel trade "was wrong on every level" and calls on Congress to act swiftly to defend democracy, protect human rights, and pursue accountability for atrocities in Myanmar.

Statistics:

  • The junta control approximately 21% of Myanmar's territory by late 2024, with the rest contested or under the control of resistance forces.
  • The junta has displaced more than 3.4 million people and forced over a million to flee to neighboring countries as refugees.
  • The report documents 63 interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses, and humanitarian workers, as well as leaked military documents and open-source data.
  • The junta has carried out airstrikes on civilian infrastructure in Karenni State between June and August 2025, showing a persistent and continuing policy of attacks on civilians.

Sources:

  • Fortify Rights report: "Crashing Down on Us": Myanmar Military Junta Aerial Attacks, War Crimes, and Impunity in Kachin and Karenni States (86-page report)
  • Original text: https://www.fortifyrights.org/mya-inv-2025-09-04/
  • U.N. Security Council Resolution: S/RES/2615 (2022)
  • U.N. General Assembly Resolution: A/RES/76/243 (2021)