<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Myanmar’s military has imported arms worth at least $1bn since seizing power in February 2021, despite “overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes”, a United Nations expert has said.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of the weapons came from Russia, China and companies in Singapore, Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar said in a report [PDF] released on Wednesday in New York.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The exports cover weapons, dual-use technology and materials used to manufacture weapons exported from the day of the coup on February 1, 2021, to December 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“These weapons, and the materials to manufacture more of them, have continued to flow uninterrupted to the Myanmar military despite overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes,” said the report. It identified more than 12,500 unique purchases or recorded shipments directly to the Myanmar military or known Myanmar arms dealers working on the military’s behalf.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The diversity and volume of goods provided to the Myanmar military since the coup is staggering,” it added, saying the military had taken delivery of weapons and equipment from fighter jets to drones, communications equipment and components for navy ships.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Myanmar was plunged into crisis by the coup, which triggered mass protests. A deadly crackdown ignited armed resistance, with ethnic armed groups that have long been fighting the military joining forces with so-called People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) to fight against the generals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PDFs are aligned with the National Unity Government (NUG) established by legislators removed in the coup and others opposed to military rule.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The UN and rights groups have accused the military of human rights abuses in its attempts to suppress opposition, saying some incidents may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In his report to the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Andrews pointed to last month’s attack on Pazigyi village in the central Sagaing region, where reports indicate near-daily confrontations between resistance forces and soldiers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As some 300 villagers, including children, gathered to mark the opening of a new NUG office, a Russian-made Yak-130 fighter jet dropped two 250kg (550 pounds) bombs on the crowd.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The ordinance detonated with deadly impact – ripping the bodies of men, women, and children open, turning their skin to ash, and inflicting critical shrapnel wounds,” the report said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amid the carnage, the attack continued as two Mi-35 attack helicopters fired on the survivors and those trying to help the wounded.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At least 160 people were killed and the remains of only 59 people were identifiable, the report noted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The attack is yet another example of the Myanmar junta’s probable crimes against humanity and war crimes against the people of Myanmar,” it said. Aljazeera</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>