"As the world’s eyes fall on Ukraine, a human rights catastrophe continues to unfold in Burma/ Myanmar. Decades of impunity have fueled a regime that knows no bounds when it comes to violence in the pursuit of power. In its first broad human rights report since the coup, the United Nations found the Burmese army has engaged in systematic human rights violations, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Civilians are not being caught in the crossfire, they are being deliberately targeted by the Burmese army. The US State Department’s determination that the Burmese army committed crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya people in 2017 is welcomed, but long overdue. As each day passes, the junta’s policy of systematic violence continues to cause insurmountable suffering across the entire country, specifically in ethnic regions. Over the February and March period, the junta’s violent actions demonstrate its continued disregard for the life and dignity of the people During a raid of Pauk Township in the Magway Region on March 6, the junta raped and killed a 42-year-old woman, Daw Aye Aye Win, and then stabbed her three-year-old daughter to death. The junta troops detained 29 villagers, including nine children to use as potential human shields. Among the detainees was Daw Aye Aye Win’s 11-yearold daughter, who was found dead three days later. The use of civilians as human shields is not an isolated incident, but rather a systematic practice of the junta. In late February, the junta detained 80 primary schoolchildren to use as human shields during a raid in Sagaing Region’s Yinmabin Township. There are at least 85 reported incidents where the junta has forced individuals to perform labour and act as human shields. This constitutes serious violations of international humanitarian law, amounting to war crimes. Arson is a hallmark of the Burmese army’s operation, burning townships, food stocks, essential provisions for displaced people, and even their victims. As of March 3, 2022, the junta has torched at least 6,158 civilian homes, mainly in Chin and Karenni/Kayah states and Sagaing and Magway regions. Injuries and death from landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW), and unexploded ordnance (UXO) are increasing as the number of displaced people move through conflict areas. In 2021, 88 civilians, including 19 women and 19 children, were killed and another 196 people, including 33 women and 55 children, were injured from landmines and ERW. The Burmese army continues to bomb civilian villages almost every day, deliberately targeting civilians and Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps. Many homes and livelihoods have been burned down or destroyed, leaving thousands unable to go home. The number of IDPs continues to increase at alarming rates. As of February 28, the number of IDPs reached 519,500, this is up from 451,000 people since WLB’s December-January 2022 update. Access constraints and inadequate humanitarian aid funding have prevented aid relief for millions of people across Burma/Myanmar. Crossborder assistance is the only way to reach people in need, and local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are doing most of the heavy lifting, by delivering food, water, shelters, health care, and sanitary packs for women. An increase in international humanitarian relief is critical, as food, clean water, and medical supplies are quickly running out. Women have been disproportionately affected by the impact the coup has had on the economy, which has left half of the population in poverty. Across the country, frequent electricity power outages have tripled the cost of alternative fuel sources, such as candles, coal, and firewood. The cuts to electricity have significantly impacted the supply of water, forcing people to return to old ways of manually pumping water. In an attempt to curb dissent and pro-democracy organizing, the junta tripled the corporate tax rate for mobile and internet providers which has doubled the price of internet data. The disruption to essential services, coupled with rising levels of poverty, has disproportionately impacted women, as they struggle to provide for their families and face an increased risk of domestic violence. WLB members report that women are not just experiencing an increase in domestic violence, but gender-based violence more broadly. On March 7, three men entered a clothing store in North Okkalarpa Township, Yangon, and attacked a woman, binding her hands and mouth, and holding a knife to her neck. On March 24 in Myitkyina, Kachin State capital, a woman selling small pieces of iron and bottles was murdered by a group of men when she refused to hand over her money. Despite the Burmese army’s efforts to terrorize civilians by stripping people of their homes, livelihoods, and safety, the resistance movement continues to grow. Eleven days after losing their homes and seeing their village burn down, women in Sagaing Region’s Pale Township have bravely stood up to protest against the junta. Having lost everything, these women are fighting with a rare determination and bravery that is at the core of the women’s resistance movement..."