Myanmar military escalated aerial attacks on civilians before election, UN investigators find

A UN investigation by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar reveals that Myanmar's military escalated aerial attacks on civilians before and after the sham elections completed in January 2026. The military increasingly utilized low-cost paramotors, gyrocopters, and silent gliding tactics to drop unguided explosives on homes, schools, and hospitals. While junta leader Min Aung Hlaing seeks international legitimacy through regional diplomatic visits, the conflict has killed an estimated 100,000 people since the 2021 coup.

Military aerial attacks escalation

• ▪The Arakan Army stated that approximately 20 civilians were killed and 22 injured in Myanmar military airstrikes across three townships in Rakhine state from August 1 to August 11, 2026.
• ▪The Myanmar military increasingly utilized "double-tap" aerial attacks, where a second strike targeted first responders, people helping the wounded, and those attempting to flee.
• ▪In several aerial attacks in the upper Sagaing region, Myanmar military pilots allegedly cut their engines to glide silently toward targets, leaving civilians with little or no warning to flee.
• ▪The Myanmar military escalated its aerial attacks against civilians, increasingly using low-cost aircraft such as motorized paragliders, gyrocopters, and drones to drop unguided explosives.

Election-period violence intensification

• ▪The Myanmar military stepped up its aerial attacks and other abuses against civilians in the lead-up to the army-organized elections held between December 2025 and January 2026.
• ▪Numerous individuals were arrested under a 2025 electoral law that carries penalties up to 20 years in prison or the death penalty for acts such as criticizing the elections online.

UN war crimes investigation

• ▪The United Nations-established Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar released an annual report on August 11, 2026, detailing a yearlong investigation into war crimes from July 2025 to June 2026.
• ▪The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar is investigating serious crimes allegedly committed by anti-military opposition groups, including sexual violence, summary executions, and child recruitment.
• ▪The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar gathered and processed more than 28 million items of information and evidence from over 1,600 sources and witnesses.
• ▪The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar reported that it is losing resources and capacity due to funding cuts at a time when international crimes in Myanmar are intensifying.

Min Aung Hlaing diplomacy

• ▪Myanmar junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing formally became president in April 2026 following a military-backed election widely dismissed by critics as a sham.
• ▪Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing conducted a diplomatic drive in 2026, visiting China, India, Laos, and Thailand to bolster his international legitimacy.
• ▪The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has banned Myanmar from its meetings for failing to comply with a peace plan agreed upon in April 2021.

Myanmar civil war casualties

• ▪The civil war triggered by the February 1, 2021 military coup in Myanmar has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced millions, according to conflict monitors and the United Nations.
• ▪The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reported that more than 8,000 civilians have been killed and over 31,000 arrested by Myanmar's security forces since 2021.