By Arakan Journal Staff
September 25, 2026
GENEVA/NEW YORK – The United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said on September 24 that conditions in Rakhine State remain unsafe for the return of Rohingya refugees, citing continuing armed conflict, violence and serious international crimes.
The Mechanism said it has collected and analyzed extensive evidence indicating that serious international crimes continue to be committed across Myanmar.
“In Rakhine State, the situation remains extremely volatile and dangerous for all communities,” the IIMM said in a statement.
According to the UN mechanism, civilians continue to face aerial bombing, artillery shelling, drone attacks, arbitrary detention, sexual and gender-based crimes, torture, and killings amid the ongoing conflict. It also said civilians in many areas lack necessities and that humanitarian aid has been obstructed.
The statement comes as governments in the region have recently discussed the possible return of people who fled violence in Myanmar, including Rohingya refugees.
The IIMM said the current conditions in Rakhine State are “not yet conducive to their safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return.”
I said that before returns can take place, the crimes and violence causing suffering to communities across Myanmar must end.
The UN mechanism’s assessment comes amid continuing international discussions about the future of more than one million Rohingya refugees who remain in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution and violence in Myanmar, particularly following the large-scale displacement from Rakhine State in 2017.
The IIMM was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect and analyze evidence of the most serious international crimes and other violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011.
The Mechanism’s mandate is to preserve and organize evidence and prepare analytical materials that can assist national, regional and international courts and other authorities in pursuing justice and accountability.
The IIMM said its work is aimed at facilitating justice and accountability by ensuring that evidence concerning serious crimes in Myanmar is preserved for potential future prosecutions.
Source: United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM).
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