The Myanmar military junta has increasingly employed scorched earth tactics in towns and territories it has lost control of, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
HRW noted that the junta, facing mounting casualties and losses in ongoing battles, has intensified its violent campaigns in areas no longer under its control. The report accuses the military of indiscriminate airstrikes, killings, sexual violence, torture, and arson targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in territories controlled by ethnic resistance forces.
Since October 2023, when the Northern Brotherhood Alliance launched Operation 1027, clashes have intensified nationwide. The junta has reportedly responded by shelling and conducting airstrikes on civilian areas and infrastructure, HRW added.
In its statement, HRW highlighted that between May 2021 and August 2024, the military burned down over 100,000 homes in Sagaing Region alone. The report also detailed forced conscription, arbitrary arrests, and the use of human shields, particularly targeting young people, following the reactivation of the Military Service Law.
The allegations add to the growing body of evidence pointing to widespread human rights abuses committed by the Myanmar military since the coup in February 2021. HRW has called on the international community to intensify efforts to hold the junta accountable for its actions.
