The United Nations has declared a steep decline in Myanmar's human rights situation, citing the escalating violence against the Rohingya minority and the destructive effects of illicit economies, particularly illegal mining for rare earths. Released on Tuesday, the report by the UN Human Rights Office indicates that since the military coup in 2021, approximately 8,075 civilians, including 1,074 children, have been killed. The death toll is estimated to be much higher, with as many as 15,731 potential fatalities since the coup and 3,102 in the last year. The ongoing violence has caused a dramatic increase in internally displaced people, now numbering 3.6 million, and has left 12.4 million people struggling with acute hunger and 400,000 young children and mothers suffering from acute malnutrition. In western Rakhine State, both the military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group, have been implicated in widespread violations against the predominantly Muslim Rohingya community. The continuing violence has led to renewed displacement, nine years after a brutal crackdown forced over 700,000 Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh. The report also accuses the Arakan Army of committing arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, forced labor, recruitment, village destruction, and religious site damage. Moreover, the absence of rule of law in Myanmar has fueled an illicit economy, with illegal rare earth mining in northern Kachin and northeastern Shan State strengthening transnational criminal networks. Satellite imagery reveals a 149% increase in new mining sites since 2021, primarily in Kachin State. Mining run-off has also led to environmental contamination, negatively impacting maternal and reproductive health, as indicated by surges in miscarriages and pregnancy complications related to heavy metal and chemical exposure. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described the findings as deeply troubling, calling on states, companies, and investors to reassess their involvement with Myanmar, asking if their actions are fair and just for the people of Myanmar.