Children rights advocates have all spoken out about almost all children's rights, including their fundamental rights, have been wiped out since the 2021 military coup

Following the military coup, children are no longer able to  exercise their basic rights to education, healthcare, and legal protection. Children from rural and ethnic areas are disproportionately affected by the loss of their rights, compared to children from urban areas. When children are forced to flee their homes due to conflicts, many of them are unable to access education and healthcare services.

As the nation's economy has drastically declined since the coup, a growing number of children in both urban and rural areas, are compelled to prioritize supporting their families, leading them to forego their education and engage in menial labor jobs.

A woman dedicated to advocating for children's rights told TLT, that nearly 90 percent of children's rights have been eroded during the reign of the Military Council.

“In the aftermath of the military coup, children's rights to education and healthcare have started to dwindle. The economic distress faced by many families due to the coup has resulted in underage children having to engage in various labor-intensive jobs to support themselves and their families. Unfortunately, these children, who have yet to complete their education, are deprived of educational opportunities and lack access to decent-paying jobs. All their rights have been lost,” she said.

Children who are compelled to work due to family poverty ,often encounter issues related to wage exploitation, and distressingly some underage girls have been subjected to sexual exploitation.

"Since the coup, our capacity to effectively safeguard children from imminent threats to their lives, has been significantly diminished. As a child rights advocate, I, along with many others, firmly believe that approximately 90 percent of children's rights have been forfeited in the current situation”, the aforementioned woman said.

Another individual involved in children's welfare expressed his concern over the diminishing children's rights, acknowledging their inability to offer assistance post-coup. He emphasized that this situation could have long-term repercussions, potentially exacerbating the plight of children in the future.

"Previously, we had the opportunity to personally visit and provide aid to children in communities that were in dire need through organized initiatives. However, the current circumstances have restricted our ability to offer direct support in the same manner. Disturbingly, the oppression faced by children has intensified over time. In the past, there were organizations that intervened to ensure fair wages for child laborers, but now transparency in our assistance to children has been compromised. Consequently, the long-term outlook indicates a further deterioration in the violation of children's rights”, he noted.

Since the coup, children in rural and ethnic areas have been subjected to arbitrary arrests and torture by the Military Council troops. Some children have been taken as hostages, and in other4 cases children have been killed.

Another individual dedicated to safeguarding children's rights emphasized, the urgent need for the international community to take prompt and decisive action in response to the loss of children's basic rights and the threats to their lives. He also stressed the importance of providing essential physical and psychological support to ensure the well-being of these children.

According to the Ministry of Women, Youth, and Children Affairs of the National Unity Government (NUG), a staggering number of 395 children have tragically lost their lives as a result of the violence perpetrated by the Military Council over the span of more than two years since the coup. These devastating incidents primarily affect residents of the Sagaing Region.

In a separate statement issued by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), it was revealed that over 600 children were subjected to arrests, while nearly 370 children were killed during the military coup.