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Thursday, October 29, 2026
Myanmar’s Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 100,000, Third Committee Hears, as South Sudan’s Elections Risk Triggering War
Myanmar’s Conflict Death Toll Surpasses 100,000, Third Committee Hears, as South Sudan’s Elections Risk Triggering War
Myanmar’s military has intensified attacks on civilians as the country’s death toll since the 2021 coup surpassed 100,000, United Nations experts warned the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, while a separate investigation cautioned that South Sudan’s approaching elections risk triggering another war.
‘Myanmar Presents a Test’; UN Envoy Calls for Action
“Will the United Nations act before the crisis becomes permanently insoluble?”, asked Julie Bishop, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, describing starkly competing accounts of the country’s political and humanitarian crisis.
Military authorities in Naypyidaw claim that the 2020 elections, in which the National League for Democracy won over 80 per cent of the vote, were fraudulent, requiring military intervention. The resistance maintains that the results reflected the legitimate will of the people.
“Naypyidaw claims its continuing aerial bombardment targets terrorist groups. The resistance says aerial attacks are targeting civilians, including women and children,” she said.
Yet, amid these conflicting narratives, one fact remains indisputable: “Rohingya have fled Rakhine, seeking protection in Bangladesh and elsewhere.” Naypyidaw claims to be committed to the return of some 326,000 verified former residents, while Bangladesh reports hosting 1.3 million Rohingya from Myanmar. Those remaining in Rakhine, where the Arakan Army controls 14 of 17 townships, face armed conflict, landmines and forced recruitment.
“Conditions for safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return do not exist,” she warned, cautioning against attempts to repatriate refugees. Supporting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Five-Point Consensus, she called for measurable benchmarks, an immediate cessation of violence and the release of arbitrarily detained persons.
‘The Crimes Being Inflicted upon Them Will Not Go Unpunished’
“The situation in Myanmar has further deteriorated with a growing number of its people falling victim to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” warned Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.
As the military intensifies aerial attacks, the Mechanism has intensified investigations into indiscriminate or targeted attacks — including by drones and paramotors — hitting civilians in their homes, hospitals, displacement camps and schools.
“Just two weeks ago, planes bombed a monastery in Sagaing Region and a church complex in Chin State,” he reported, recalling another bombing at a market in Rakhine State that killed over 50 people.
Investigators are also identifying commanders and interrogators implicated in torture at military-run detention facilities. Witnesses have provided “horrific accounts of sexual and gender-based crimes, torture, strangulation and electrocution”, he added.
Turning to the approximately 1.2 million Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh, he recalled meeting a father whose five children had been killed in Rakhine and a woman whose husband had disappeared after being abducted by the Arakan Army. “Everyone I met carried pain from their experiences,” he said, noting that refugees hoped justice would hasten their safe return.
The Mechanism has collected videos, geospatial imagery and financial records from over 1,600 sources, alongside over 750 witness testimonies. It has also shared information supporting proceedings before international courts and preliminary investigations by several States.
“Member States must send a message that the people of Myanmar are not forgotten and the crimes being inflicted upon them will not go unpunished,” he declared.
‘The Greatest Source of Civilian Death and Suffering’, Expert Says of Myanmar’s Military Regime
Kelley Anne Eckels-Currie, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, denounced military leader Min Aung Hlaing’s assumption of the presidency. “Nobody should be fooled: he may have changed his outfit, but he’s still the same ruthless dictator using the same ruthless tactics,” she asserted.
During his announced 100-day plan to restore peace and prosperity, the military intensified attacks and Myanmar passed “a grim milestone: more than 100,000 conflict-related deaths since the coup, the vast majority of which were civilians”.
While the regular economy continued to collapse, online scams, trafficking and resource extraction expanded, she reported. “And during those 100 days, the regime deployed new technologies of coercion and surveillance — gifts from its Chinese and Russian allies — to shut down dissent,” she said.
She criticized regional efforts to normalize relations with the military authorities, warning that diplomatic engagement and a “performative transition” risk prolonging suffering and intensifying the conflict.
Citing deliberate attacks on civilians, obstruction of humanitarian assistance, telecommunications blackouts, torture and extrajudicial killings, she reported that three humanitarian workers were reportedly tortured and killed in Dawei in July for assisting local communities.
Nevertheless, she pointed to grass-roots governance in areas outside military control, including community-focused resource management in Karenni State and education and health services for displaced people in Karen State.
“The Min Aung Hlaing regime remains the greatest source of civilian death and suffering, instability, impoverishment, corruption and gross violations of human rights in Myanmar,” she stressed.
Responding to questions about her impartiality, she invoked Desmond Tutu: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
‘Do Not Fail Them Anymore’, Myanmar’s Representative Pleads
During the ensuing dialogue, Myanmar’s representative condemned the military junta’s air strikes, forced conscription and continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi, dismissing its proposed peace talks as “a fake promise”.
Holding up a scarf bearing the names and ages of civilians killed in the conflict, he struggled to contain his tears. “The youngest was just two months old. The oldest was 105,” he said.
“I do not want to read any more names added to this scarf,” he pleaded, urging States to stop supplying jet fuel, weapons and money to the military. “Do not fail them anymore,” he said.
Thailand’s representative highlighted humanitarian assistance delivered through ASEAN channels and the repatriation of over 13,700 people rescued from scam centres in Myanmar. Japan’s delegate called for an end to attacks on civilians and the release of political detainees.
The Russian Federation’s representative rejected “seriously imbalanced” UN assessments, stressing that “it is unacceptable to brand Naypyidaw as being to blame for the current crisis”.
Similarly rejecting the Special Rapporteur’s claims, China’s speaker cautioned her against misleading the public. “The international community should focus on helping bridge differences and resolving problems, rather than intensifying tensions and aggravating turbulence,” he said.
The European Union, in its capacity as observer, rejected the legitimacy of the military’s elections, declaring that “rebranding of the military rule under a nominally civilian administration” could not confer legitimacy.
Bangladesh’s representative warned of sexual violence and forced recruitment in Rakhine, stressing that “prolonged displacement cannot become a permanent solution” and calling for predictable international funding and burden-sharing.
South Sudan: Elections ‘Risk Triggering a Wider War’
Turning to South Sudan, Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, warned that the political settlement designed to prevent another war is being dismantled ahead of the country’s first elections.
The Government’s abandonment of the permanent Constitution in July and the President’s dissolution of the transitional Government in September, followed by the appointment of a caretaker administration “answerable to him alone”, amounted to a constitutional coup through legislative means, she pointed out.
Former Vice-President Riek Machar remains detained, opposition actors remain excluded and fighting has resumed, with tens of thousands of fighters outside unified command. “Elections under these conditions risk triggering a wider war,” she warned.
With the incumbent President standing for election under institutions he controls, “de facto one-party rule” has emerged before a single vote, she said. Elections risk “giving democratic cover to the destruction of the peace agreement”.
Meanwhile, civilians continue to bear the consequences of renewed military operations. She cited military orders for civilians, peacekeepers and aid agencies to leave Akobo ahead of operations, noting that the area hosted an estimated 270,000 people. Recalling an attack on a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Old Fangak that killed seven people in 2025, she added: “The harm endures long after the aircraft leave.”
Children continue to be recruited by armed groups, women and girls face conflict-related sexual violence and commanders implicated in grave violations have joined State forces without vetting. Such “appointments reward men under Security Council sanctions”, she stated.
Calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, electoral safeguards, humanitarian assistance and accountability through the African Union Hybrid Court, she stressed: “South Sudanese want to live without fear and determine their own future.”
Central African Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Abuses Persist despite Limited Progress
Aristide Nononsi, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic, acknowledged progress in elections, disarmament and reintegration, but warned of persistent violence against civilians.
Between October 2025 and June 2026, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) documented 1,639 human rights violations and abuses affecting 2,812 victims, he reported. He highlighted conflict-related sexual violence, abuses against children and the need to prevent child recruitment.
He also welcomed the International Criminal Court’s September conviction of former Séléka commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, stressing the importance of justice and reparations.
Elizabeth Salmón, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, warned of intensifying surveillance, ideological control, food insecurity and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
“Recent developments in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea regrettably indicate an expansion, rather than a restriction, of the death penalty,” she said, reporting that the number of offences punishable by death had reportedly doubled since 2015.
Citing concerns over due process and allegations of executions of forcibly repatriated women, she urged Pyongyang “to establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty”.
Statement from Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar
81st Session of the Third Committee of the General Assembly
Statement by Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar
27 October 2026
Mister Chair, Excellencies,
It is an honour to update you on the progress of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.
Since I last appeared before you, the situation in Myanmar has further deteriorated with a growing number of its people falling victim to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Myanmar military is increasingly relying on aerial attacks. We have intensified our investigations into indiscriminate or targeted attacks – including by drones and paramotors – which hit civilians in their homes, hospitals, places of worship, displacement camps and schools. Just two weeks ago, planes bombed a monastery in Sagaing Region and a church complex in Chin State. Last month, bombs struck a market in Rakhine State killing more than 50 people.
We have also advanced investigations into torture in military-run detention facilities, identifying commanders and interrogators. Witnesses have given us horrific accounts of sexual and gender-based crimes, torture, strangulation and electrocution.
We are also investigating an increasing number of allegations of atrocities by armed groups opposed to the military. We follow the evidence and investigate perpetrators regardless of their ethnicity or political affiliation.
Mister Chair,
Earlier this month, I was in Bangladesh where there are now more than 1.2 million Rohingya who sought shelter after fleeing Myanmar. More than 155,000 have arrived since early 2024.
I met a Rohingya man who told me all five of his children were recently killed in Rakhine State. A woman said her husband had been abducted by the Arakan Army and she did not know his whereabouts. Everyone I met carried pain from their experiences. All want to return to Myanmar and expressed hope that pursuing justice could hasten the day when it would be safe for them to go home.
The Mechanism is committed to building evidence to support future prosecutions. We have collected videos, photographs, geospatial imagery, social media posts and financial records from over 1,600 sources, and more than 750 testimonies from witnesses.
We have shared extensive evidence and analysis with authorities pursuing accountability for crimes in Myanmar at the International Criminal Court, the Argentina Federal Court and the International Court of Justice. We have also shared information concerning crimes committed since the 2021 military takeover with authorities from several States who have initiated preliminary investigations.
I am profoundly grateful to those who have shared information with the Mechanism, often at considerable personal risk. We appreciate their trust and the responsibility that comes with it. We will continue to pursue our investigations with determination, and work with Member States to ensure that the evidence we collect can contribute to holding those most responsible to account.
These are challenging times for international humanitarian law. Since the Nuremberg trials 80 years ago, much effort has gone into strengthening the prohibition on targeting civilians in war and resolving to bring those responsible for the worst of these crimes to justice. Member States must send a message that the people of Myanmar are not forgotten and the crimes being inflicted upon them will not go unpunished.
Thank you.
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In April 2024, German police cut the power and shut down the Palestine Congress in Berlin after just one speaker had finished. Why was a gathering opposing Germany’s support for Israel’s genocide treated as a major security threat?
On today’s show, filmmaker Dror Dayan and Palestine Congress organizer Helena Zohdi join us to discuss the new documentary Gleichgeschaltet – Germany Against the Palestine Congress.
The film also features Ali Abunimah, whom German authorities banned from addressing the Congress.
Our conversation will explore how the film uses the repression of the Congress to examine what drives Germany’s extreme support for Israel, as well as the case of the Ulm Five and how Israel has become central to coalition negotiations following Berlin’s recent state election.
Jon Elmer reports on the latest combat footage from Yemen and Saudi Arabia, where Yemeni-made weapons and drones are shaping the fighting.
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Pentagon Estimates the US Has Spent Over $47 Billion on Iran War, But True Cost Is Much Higher
The Pentagon's numbers exclude the cost of the damage to US bases
The Pentagon’s estimate for the cost of the Iran war is now over $47 billion, 25% higher than its estimate from July, according to data obtained by Reuters, though the true cost of the conflict is significantly higher since the US War Department’s numbers leave out the cost of damage to US bases.
The Reuters report said the Pentagon estimates it needs $29 billion to replace munitions used in the conflict and $6 billion to replace military equipment and “platform losses,” including aircraft and the many drones lost during the war, but those numbers are also likely a significant undercount.
Stephen Semler of the Security Policy Reform Institute published an analysis in July estimating the war’s real cost in the first 120 days at around $103 billion, including $46.7 billion on munitions. Unlike the Pentagon’s estimate, Semler’s analysis factored in damage to US bases.
Semler said that his $103 billion estimate “refers only to direct war costs — the immediate budgetary costs directly tied to the war, including operations, personnel, and matériel” and not indirect costs that the US government will have to pay for years to come, which include interest added to the national debt and long-term care for veterans.
According to the Pentagon’s official numbers, the US suffered nearly 1,000 casualties in the region since it launched the war on February 28, including 22 deaths and 905 injuries, though it’s unclear if the figures account for the true number of casualties since the Pentagon has downplayed them throughout the conflict.
US Sending an Additional Patriot System to Israel
Report: US Sending an Additional Patriot System to Israel To Prepare for Potential Attacks on Iran
According to The Wall Street Journal, the US has warned its Gulf Arab allies to prepare for a 'short, intense' attack on Iran
The US military is sending an additional Patriot missile system to Israel to beef up the country’s air defenses as part of preparations for a potential US-Israeli attack on Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday night.
It’s estimated that the US has used about 1,700 Patriot missile interceptors, or about two-thirds of its total stockpile, in Iran since it was launched on February 28, and the reported deployment to Israel comes as the US has been holding up a Patriot missile shipment to Ukraine.
The Journal report said that the US has also warned its Gulf Arab allies to prepare for a short but intense renewed bombing campaign against Iran, though Iranian officials have warned that they will significantly escalate retaliatory strikes across the region in the face of any renewed US or Israeli attacks, meaning the US will have little control on the timeline.
The reported warning to the Gulf states comes as senior Gulf Arab officials appear desperate to avoid a re-escalation of the war as they have been engaging with Iranian officials. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Tehran on Monday, and the following day, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Moscow.
Sources told the Journal that President Trump has made a final decision on going ahead with an attack on Iran but was leaning toward launching strikes after the November 3 US midterm elections. Other preparations have included moving troops around the region, loading aircraft with bombs, and deploying additional warships.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was eager to attack Iran ahead of Tuesday’s Israeli elections, and now that his party has come out on top but is short of a majority needed to form a government, he may have even more of a motive to re-escalate the war than before.
South Korean prosecutors press for death sentence in Yoon martial law case
South Korean prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed attempt to impose military rule.
The team led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk renewed the demand at an appeal hearing in Seoul on Thursday, arguing that Yoon’s actions threatened South Korea‘s democracy.
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Prosecutors had previously sought the death penalty at Yoon’s original trial in January, but the court sentenced him to life imprisonment the following month.
At Thursday’s hearing at the Seoul High Court, a prosecutor said there was “no reason to hesitate” over imposing the death penalty, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
South Korea retains the death penalty but has not carried out an execution since 1997.
Prosecutors argued that this long pause should not prevent judges from sentencing Yoon to death.
Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024, deploying soldiers and police to the National Assembly, South Korea’s parliament.
Lawmakers overcame a security blockade to vote down the measure, forcing the government to withdraw it about six hours after it was announced.
The lower court found that Yoon had tried to stop parliament from functioning, detain political opponents and remain in control of the country for an extended period.
Yoon’s lawyers told reporters on Thursday that he had intended to warn an opposition-controlled parliament against what he considered attempts to obstruct his government, not to establish authoritarian rule.
Speaking at the Seoul High Court on October 27, Yoon also denied seeking to establish a long-term dictatorship, according to the Hankyoreh newspaper.
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The crisis led parliament to impeach Yoon in December 2024. South Korea’s Constitutional Court, which decides whether to uphold impeachments, removed him from office in April 2025.
The appeals court plans two more hearings, including Yoon’s final statement on November 5.
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Myanmar official breaks down at UN as he urges world to ‘end our suffering’ under junta
https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/myanmar-un-speech-diplomat-junta-suffering-b3075336.html Video