Myanmar’s military junta continued to terrorize civilians throughout March 2025, even as a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country. The disaster, which killed thousands and displaced tens of thousands more, was met not with aid but with obstruction: junta forces blocked humanitarian access, denied entry to earthquake affected opposition-held areas, and even launched fresh airstrikes on communities struggling to survive.
While pro-democracy forces declared ceasefires to facilitate relief efforts, the military pressed ahead with attacks in Sagaing, Bago, Magway, and Shan States. Junta air raids killed dozens of civilians and destroyed schools, homes, and religious buildings. Monasteries were bombed, clergy killed, and churches burned, part of a growing pattern of attacks on protected places and people.
In Rakhine State, the Arakan Army escalated its crackdown on the Rohingya. BHRN documented mass evictions, bans on Rohingya identity, and property seizures. A fire in a displacement camp in Sittwe left over 2,000 people homeless. Landmines, believed to be planted by the military junta, injured a Rohingya man near Maungdaw.
The junta’s campaign of forced conscription intensified. Children and youth were abducted from streets and homes, beaten, and dragged into military service. In some cases, those who resisted were killed. Meanwhile, pro-junta militias like Pyu Saw Htee continued to loot villages, extort civilians, and abduct farmers for ransom.
Extrajudicial killings surged, with victims tortured, executed, and dumped in roadsides and latrines. Junta forces raided villages in Magway and Bago Regions, leaving behind beheaded bodies and propaganda blaming resistance groups.