Myanmar’s military junta continued to carry out deadly attacks on civilians throughout September 2026, bombing villages, markets, schools and areas sheltering displaced people. On September 28, military aircraft struck a crowded market in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, killing at least 50 people and injuring 58 others. Across the country, civilians faced arbitrary arrests, forced military recruitment, extortion, ill-treatment in detention and restrictions on access to essential services.
In Mandalay, junta authorities sealed Muslim prayer spaces following pressure from Buddhist ultranationalist monks and continued to block repairs to mosques damaged in the 2025 earthquake. In Rakhine State, Rohingya residents in areas controlled by the Arakan Army and United League of Arakan reported discriminatory registration requirements, unequal taxation, threats of expulsion and abuses linked to military recruitment. Resistance authorities also faced allegations of arbitrary detention and misconduct, raising concerns about their willingness and ability to hold personnel accountable.
On September 29, Malaysia returned 1,476 Myanmar nationals without allowing UNHCR to assess their protection needs or establish whether their decisions to return were voluntary. Those returned faced potential persecution, detention, and forced military recruitment in Myanmar. Bangladesh continued to restrict Rohingya refugees’ freedom of movement and access to education, while international calls for repatriation continued despite the absence of conditions for safe and voluntary returns. International legal proceedings and investigations into atrocities and related abuses continued, but meaningful accountability remains elusive.