Despite a declared ceasefire following the deadly March 28 earthquakes, Myanmar’s military junta has escalated its campaign of violence, launching hundreds of attacks on civilians in defiance of international law, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

In a stark warning issued Friday, Türk condemned the Myanmar military — known as the Tatmadaw — for its “unremitting violence,” revealing that at least 243 attacks, including 171 air strikes, have taken place between the earthquake and April 29. These brutal assaults have left over 200 civilians dead, despite a supposed pause in hostilities declared by both the Tatmadaw and the opposition National Unity Government (NUG) on April 2.

Myanmar continues its airstrike despite earthquake (photo credit: Yadanar Phyu Phyu Aung)

“The relentless attacks affect a population already heavily beleaguered and exhausted by years of conflict,” Türk said. “People in Myanmar need food, water, and shelter. They need – and must have – peace and protection.”

The UN Human Rights Office has reiterated its demand for the military to cease its indiscriminate bombardments and immediately allow unhindered humanitarian access. The High Commissioner emphasized that under international humanitarian law, parties to a conflict are legally obligated not to obstruct life-saving aid to civilians — a principle the junta continues to violate.

The ongoing civil war — which ignited in 2021 after the Tatmadaw overthrew the country’s democratically elected government — has plunged Myanmar into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The UN estimates nearly 20 million people depend on aid, and that the recent earthquakes, which killed 3,800 people and displaced millions, have pushed an additional 6.3 million into urgent need.

Instead of offering relief, the junta has intensified its inhuman assaults, targeting civilian populations with air raids and scorched-earth tactics. Eyewitnesses report bombings of displacement camps, the burning of villages, and attacks on hospitals and schools — clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake has killed more than 1,000 people in Myanmar 

These atrocities follow years of genocidal campaigns in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and widespread crackdowns on ethnic minorities, including the Rohingya. Rights groups warn that the junta is now expanding the same brutal tactics nationwide under the guise of counter-insurgency.

Volker Türk called for the world to stop funneling resources into Myanmar’s war machinery and instead push for a “peaceful resolution” grounded in democracy and rule of law.

“This is the time to put people first,” he urged. “To prioritise their human rights and humanitarian needs.”

Despite mounting evidence of war crimes, the junta continues to act with impunity, emboldened by geopolitical divisions and a lack of coordinated international sanctions or enforcement mechanisms.

As Myanmar teeters on the edge of total collapse, human rights advocates stress that global inaction risks enabling further atrocities. The urgent question now is not whether the junta is violating the ceasefire — but how long the world will look away.

Bob Post