The Role of Intelligence Agencies in Repression and Torture by Myanmar's Military Junta Intelligence and its Human Rights Abuses During the 2021 Revolution

Abstract

Myanmar's political landscape has been marked by repeated military coups, leading to prolonged periods of authoritarian rule through systemic human rights violations, particularly repression and torture. This study explores the critical role of Myanmar's intelligence agencies in the systematic repressions and torture practices under the military junta during the 2021 revolution. By utilizing Political Violence Theory, this study exposes authoritarian regimes, intelligence operations, and their methods and strategies to uphold the military's power against civilian uprisings. The primary focus of the study is to discuss how these entities contributed to human rights violations in Myanmar. 

^{Received: 11-10-2024}

^{Revised: 01-10-2025}

Through applying a qualitative approach of in-depth interviews with 35 stakeholders and incorporating historical context, interviews, and secondary data, this research identifies the multifaceted roles of intelligence in enforcing state-sponsored violence and fear. The findings illustrate the operational dynamics of intelligence agencies actively orchestrating arrests and killings through legal and extrajudicial control, enforced disappearances, and torture, alongside pervasive surveillance, targeted repression, and use of civilian Pro-Military Groups. This paper argues for a robust international response to address these human rights abuses, recommending strategies for accountability and structural reform within Myanmar's intelligence apparatus.