It has been five years since the military in Myanmar took control of the government and arrested the country’s elected leaders. The political, humanitarian, and economic crises in Myanmar have continued to worsen. It is estimated that violence, displacement, and the military-dominated electoral process have consolidated authoritarian rule instead of restoring civilian-led rule, leaving the country’s citizens vulnerable to extreme suffering.
Worsening Humanitarian Conditions
Farhan Haq, the UN Deputy Spokesperson, reiterated that
“the suffering of the people of Myanmar has deepened,”
underlining the massive scale of human suffering. About 5.2 million people have been displaced both within and across the borders, while military airstrikes target civilians in conflict zones.
Acute food insecurity now extends to almost a quarter of the population, while over a third of the population needs immediate humanitarian aid. The UN Secretary-General has expressed his deep concern about the regional implications of the instability in Myanmar, citing increased transnational crime, economic instability, and the growing humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia.
Military-Controlled Elections Deepen Divisions
The latest three-phased elections, which have taken place completely under military management, have instead served to further divide the country of Myanmar, rather than offering a democratic route to power. The elections were held in only 263 of the 330 townships, mostly in cities controlled by the military, while conflict zones, as well as ethnic minorities such as the Rohingya, were deliberately left out.
The opposition political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won the 2020 elections in a landslide victory, were banned from taking part, and many political leaders are still in detention. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that the elections
“failed to respect the fundamental human rights of citizens”
and instead were used to “exacerbate violence and societal polarization.”
Violence and Coercion During Voting
The election period, ranging from December 2025 to January 2026, was characterized by fierce military campaigns and political repression. There were 408 military airstrikes documented in open-source materials, leading to the deaths of at least 170 civilians, with most of the airstrikes targeting residential areas, hospitals, and schools. On 22 January, a military airstrike in Bhamo Township, Kachin State, killed an estimated 50 civilians in areas where there were no combatants.
To quell any form of opposition, the military arrested hundreds of people in accordance with a unilaterally imposed election protection law, including people who had committed minor offenses online, with one person sentenced to 49 years in prison for posting anti-election materials.
Economic Collapse and Humanitarian Strain
The military coup has also led to a serious economic crisis. The Myanmar economy has lost close to $100 billion since the coup in 2021, and the gross domestic product is not expected to recover for several years. The blocking of humanitarian aid, especially in Rakhine State, has also denied the starving population any aid, thereby increasing their suffering.
Analysts note that the combination of ongoing conflict, international sanctions, and poor governance has significantly eroded domestic production and undermined international confidence in Myanmar’s economy, leaving millions dependent on unreliable and insufficient aid.
Continued International Crimes and Impunity
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has evidence of international crimes committed against civilians, which continue unabated. The military has conducted airstrikes that intentionally or indiscriminately targeted civilians in their homes, hospitals, and schools, while many arrested civilians have been brutally tortured.
However, the Mechanism is also investigating rising reports of atrocities committed by opposition armed groups. Nicholas Koumjian, the chief of the Mechanism, stated that these acts may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, which contribute to the cycle of impunity in the country.
Rohingya Accountability at the International Court
In the midst of such a dismal prognosis, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is a glimmer of hope. Rohingya survivors have already given their testimony in the genocide case filed by the Gambia against Myanmar. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews commended the bravery of the survivors, saying that justice is not an abstraction but founded on people who are willing to tell the truth to those in power. The ICJ proceedings are a crucial but limited avenue to record the atrocities and make the perpetrators accountable.
The Myanmar experience since the 2021 coup illustrates the intersection of political oppression, humanitarian disaster, and economic failure. Military dominance in politics, elections, and human rights has consolidated an authoritarian state, excluded opposition and minorities, enabled violence and attacks on civilians and humanitarian personnel, and contributed to regional instability through displacement and international criminal networks.
Economic incompetence has further diminished the country’s capacity to resist these challenges, and a positive outcome for recovery appears uncertain without continued international engagement with Myanmar through sanctions, diplomacy, and engagement with accountability mechanisms. The UN warnings reflect the imperative for the international community to respond to both the immediate humanitarian crisis and the underlying drivers of conflict and human rights abuses.