Myanmar’s Conflict Economy Deepens Rohingya and Minority Suffering

Myanmar's human rights crisis has fallen to a disturbing new low as armed violence, persecution of the Rohingya, displacement and a rapidly expanding illicit economy place minority communities under growing pressure. A new UN Human Rights report covering 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026 describes a country where conflict and criminal economic activity increasingly reinforce each other, leaving civilians exposed to violence while natural resources are extracted with little accountability.

The report says Myanmar's military continues to use airstrikes, arson, forced displacement and restrictions on humanitarian assistance, while surveillance technologies have widened the reach of fear and control. Nine years after the mass violence of 2017 forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from their homes, widespread violations against the community continue, with abuses attributed to both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army.

Rohingya Communities Face Another Cycle of Violence

Across northern Rakhine, the report documents arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, enforced disappearances, forced labour, recruitment, land confiscation and destruction of villages and religious sites linked to the Arakan Army. These conditions have pushed more Rohingya families from their homes while reducing already limited opportunities to live safely and support themselves.

Children have been pulled into this system of exploitation, with witnesses describing children as young as six being made to clear jungle, construct buildings and perform labour for Rakhine families. Rohingya attempting to escape forced recruitment have reportedly been detained and subjected to severe abuse, while some girls have entered early marriages because families believed marriage could reduce their risk of recruitment.

Illegal Mining Fuels Conflict and Environmental Damage

The breakdown of the rule of law has also created fertile ground for illegal mining, drug production, human trafficking and scam centres, providing income to criminal networks while exploiting communities struggling with poverty and displacement. Rare earth mining in Kachin and Shan has emerged as a particularly serious concern because of its links to transnational networks, unsafe business practices and extensive environmental contamination.

Satellite analysis cited in the report identified 302 new mining sites in Kachin since 2021, representing a 149 percent increase. Shan recorded an equally striking expansion, rising from 12 sites before the military coup to 85 afterwards. Despite gaps in official records, trade flows linked to the sector are estimated to have peaked at about $1.4 billion in 2023.

Toxic Mining Leaves Communities Paying the Price

Rare earth extraction has brought another layer of suffering to communities living around mining areas, where hazardous chemical leaching agents and toxic runoff are discharged into waterways and agricultural land. Local documentation cited by the UN recorded increases in miscarriages, severe bleeding during and after pregnancy, and other pregnancy complications associated with exposure to heavy metals and chemicals.

Workers face serious dangers as well, often entering mining sites without protective equipment, proper training or basic occupational safety standards. Reported health problems include respiratory distress, chemical burns, severe headaches and gastrointestinal illnesses, while prolonged exposure has been linked to chronic lung, kidney and liver diseases. Toxic wastewater has also damaged farmland, reducing crop yields and quality and cutting incomes for families already struggling with the economic consequences of conflict.

Women and Workers Face Growing Exploitation

Economic hardship, forced conscription and displacement have driven more women into mining work, exposing them to heightened risks of sexual violence and harassment from supervisors, guards and militia members. With weak accountability and few economic alternatives, workers can become trapped in industries where dangerous conditions, exploitation and environmental destruction are treated as part of everyday life.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the findings as a picture of suffering and cruelty across Myanmar and called on governments, companies and investors to examine how their actions or inaction contribute to the crisis. The report places responsibility beyond Myanmar's borders too, warning that international business relationships, investment decisions and demand for natural resources can carry profound consequences for communities living at the source.