The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have issued a joint statement at the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council drawing particular attention to the continuing practice of enforced disappearances in Myanmar and reprisals faced by lawyers and other human rights defenders seeking to protect the rights of victims and their families.
The full statement is below.
63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Item 2: Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the reports of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM)
Monday 7 September 2026
Oral Statement
Vice President,
The ICJ and IBAHRI welcome the continued efforts to document serious violations and abuses and advance accountability by the IIMM and the OHCHR in the context of continued unlawful aerial attacks against civilians by the military.
We wish to draw particular attention to the continuing practice of enforced disappearances in Myanmar and to those who seek to protect the rights of victims and their families.
The junta continues the widespread practice of arbitrary detention, incommunicado detention, whereby persons are systematically denied access to legal counsel, and family members are often denied information about the fate or whereabouts of their relatives.
In such cases, lawyers are often among the first to whom families turn. They search for the disappeared persons, challenge arbitrary or unlawful detention, document violations and preserve information that contributes to truth, justice, reparation and accountability.
Lawyers undertaking these critical professional duties themselves face intimidation, unwarranted surveillance, arbitrary detention and other forms of reprisal. Some have been convicted on spurious charges, had their licenses removed, or been blacklisted simply for representing clients, including those charged under counter-terrorism laws.
We call upon all Member States to ensure that lawyers, human rights defenders, victims and survivors in Myanmar are able to exercise their rights without intimidation or reprisal. We also call for sustained cooperation and technical and financial support to the IIMM and other independent accountability mechanisms and for the preservation of avenues to justice.
Thank you.
This statement was delivered by:
Sandra Epal-Ratjen
International Advocacy Director, ICJ
