Violence and obstruction against health care has occurred throughout the country since the beginning of the 2021 coup.

Hospitals were raided and occupied and ambulances shot at. Health workers were arrested, injured, and in some cases killed in close-range shootings. Health workers were prevented from treating wounded protesters and emergency medical teams were shot at with live rounds while trying to retrieve or treat injured civilians.

Health workers were intimidated, arrested and evicted from government housing on suspicion of participating in the CDM.

2021 Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) Factsheet

The SHCC identified 411 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care in Myanmar in 2021, compared to 17 in 2020. In these incidents 535 health workers were arrested, 118 health facilities attacked, 41 ambulances attacked, and 29 health workers killed.

Nearly 90% of violent incidents affecting health care in Myanmar in 2021 were attributed to SAC/Tatmadaw soldiers. From October an increased number of non-state actors participated in violence against health care.

Incidents occurred in three distinct phases, marked by different patterns of violence against or obstruction of health care. During the initial post-coup period from February to April health workers were often arrested while attending protests or providing aid to protesters. Hospitals and clinics were raided by state security forces, often in search of pro-democracy health workers or injured protesters. Over 60% of health worker arrests in 2021 and over half of health facility raids occurred during this period. All reported violent incidents during this period were perpetrated by state security forces. Read full factsheet here. Download the data.

Our Global Interactive Map on Threats and Violence against Health Care provides access to continuously updated information on violence against health care in conflict and related to COVID-19.