Myanmar
The situation of human rights in Myanmar has deteriorated dramatically, particularly since the military coup that displaced the democratically elected government on Feb 1, 2021, and the outbreak of a civil war later that year between the Myanmar military and the National Unity Government (NUG). The coup was perpetrated by the same group of generals who are responsible for the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people, who have lived under systematic discrimination that amounts to apartheid for decades. As ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people continues, and the civil war persists, intense state repression has expanded to the rest of the society since 2021.
In this armed conflict which has directly claimed the lives of more than 100,000, as of July 27, 2026, 8203 people have been killed for political reasons and 31,585 people have been politically imprisoned in the aftermath of the coup by the junta regime, with 22,525 of those remaining in prison according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), an advocacy group based in neighboring Thailand. At least 3.6 million have been internally displaced, and more than 16 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, the delivery of which has been blocked by the junta government according to Human Rights Watch. As part of this humanitarian crisis, the state of academic freedom has sharply deteriorated. In the “Free to Think 2023” report by Scholars At Risk, Myanmar was noted as one of the countries that experienced the biggest decline in academic freedom that year. On the “Academic Freedom Index” of the Varieties of Democracy Institute, Myanmar scores a 0.02 out of 1, making it the country with the second-lowest score globally after Nicaragua.
The military regime has faced strong opposition from students and educational staff since the 2021 coup. Shortly after the military intervention, a mass strike was launched by civil servants from many different sectors, including the educational sector, who refused to be a part of the military regime. Meanwhile, the number of students attending state-run institutions has dropped by 90%, and the number of students taking the matriculation exams necessary for higher education dropped by 80%. In order to curb student activism, the military regime has started imposing a two-year mandatory military service requirement for young adults. Service time was extended for special occupations like engineers under times of “emergency” in February 2024. In order to avoid the draft, many young people, who are also boycotting the public education institutions controlled by the military regime, have had to flee abroad or to regions under the control of opposition forces.
Opponents of the military regime who choose to stay behind risk political persecution. According to the AAPP, a total of 1,693 students, educational staff, and teachers across all educational levels have been arrested since 2021. Furthermore, over 19,000 university faculty members have been fired over their alleged involvement in the Civil Disobedience Movement, in opposition to the military regime.
The repression of students and staff has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of attacks on schools and universities in the context of the civil war between the Myanmar military and the NUG. According to data collected by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) in their last three bi-annually published “Education Under Attack” reports, there have been a total of 657 attacks on school infrastructure from 2020 to the end of 2025, vast majority of which occurred after February 2021. Attacks, which included airstrikes, bombs and other explosive devices, were mostly perpetrated by the military, according to the United Nations (UN). GCPEA noted a further 28 attacks on higher education institutions over the same period. Most recent examples include the targeting of Computer Science University in Maehan Village, Lashio Township, Shan State, with air strikes by the military on October 5, 2024. According to University World News, another air strike by the Myanmar military hit Aung San Comprehensive University (ASCU) on January 30, 2025, killing a university student and injuring two more students as well as one professor. Two more civilians were also reportedly killed in the attack. The ASCU is one of the sixteen universities established by the opposition National Government’s Ministry of Education in the aftermath of the outbreak of civil war, which provide alternatives for students, faculty, and staff who do not want to be part of the higher education sector that is closely controlled by the military junta regime.
One factor that has caused an increase in the number of attacks on universities has been the military use of schools and university campuses. GCPEA reported 58 instances between 2020 and 2025 in which schools and universities were targeted because of armed groups and military stationed in them. One such attack was carried out by opposition forces on March 18, 2025, targeting military units stationed at Nam Hpar University. In the past five years, the Myanmar military has regularly used schools and universities as bases, storage facilities for weapons, detention sites, and fighting positions. The UN reported 256 separate cases of the military use of schools in the 2022-2024 period. In this context, many clashes between the military and non-state armed groups have occurred at or near universities, such as in Loikaw University in November 2023 and Kalay University in February 2024. Women and girls in particular face a larger barrier to their education as families are apprehensive about sending their daughters to schools for fear of violence and sexual assault in the context of ongoing armed conflict.
Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) calls on the military regime to immediately cease the ongoing and persistent violation of fundamental human rights and restore democratic rule to Myanmar. Students and scholars inside Myanmar and overseas have the right to express dissent against the military regime without fear of violence and retribution. ESW further condemns the military use of educational institutions, which is a major threat to their safety and security. We invite the global community to join our call.
(Last updated July 27, 2026)
Please send appeals to the following:
Kyaw Moe Tun,
Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations,
10 E 77th St, New York, NY 10075, USA
