Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is calling on the international community to take urgent and decisive action as Myanmar marks four years since the military seized power in a coup on Feb. 1.
Since the takeover, over 28,000 people have been arbitrarily detained, with religious minorities facing disproportionate persecution, CSW said in a press release on January 31.
Detainees in Myanmar are subjected to extreme psychological and physical abuse, including torture and inhumane conditions in detention centers, the advocacy group reported.
“The junta has weaponized rape and sexual violence as a tool of collective punishment, mirroring the 2017 atrocities committed against the predominantly Muslim and legally stateless Rohingya community, which saw thousands killed, 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh, and hundreds of villages burned,” CSW said.
Reports indicated a systematic pattern of sexual violence in conflict zones and detention centers, the group added.
Citing a United Nations report, CSW said the military has killed at least 32 religious leaders, some through extrajudicial executions, while others died in custody.
Meanwhile, the junta has intensified digital repression, blocking VPNs and restricting internet access in an effort to silence independent reporting and prevent global awareness of the ongoing human rights abuses.
The group warned that forced conscription is taking a heavy toll on Myanmar’s youth, with many fleeing the country to avoid being drafted.
While the military regime claims that the draft does not currently include women, uncertainty remains.
Rohingya and other marginalized groups have also been coerced into military service under false promises of citizenship, only to find themselves ensnared in cycles of exploitation and violence.