Children in Karenni State are being traumatised and suffering severe psychological damage because of junta artillery shellings and airstrikes.
In Karenni State children have been killed and injured by the junta’s shelling and airstrikes and others have been traumatised to the point of severe psychological distress, according to Daw Mu Se, the director of Kyay Lat Myay, a civil relief group working in Karenni State.
She said to NMG: “There have been children who have died or been disabled due to the junta's attacks. I mean, disabilities aren't just about losing limbs; some have suffered ruptured eardrums, leading to hearing loss from the explosions. Some children aren’t developing normally, for example, they’re not speaking at an age when they should be. The psychological distress is affecting their development. I've personally seen three children in Karenni State who have been severely mentally affected by the junta’s attacks. And, of course, there have been many more children injured by the junta as well.”
Describing the bombing of her school in Loinanhpa Village, in the west of Demoso Township, in Karenni State a school girl said: “When the junta aircraft bombed our school, I thought I was going to die. Even now, whenever I hear the sound of a plane, I can’t help but shake and feel overwhelmed with anxiety.”
Another schoolgirl who witnessed the bombing of her school in Daw Si Ei Village, Demoso Township said: “Just hearing the sound of planes flying in the distance or the rumbling of artillery shelling makes me feel really nervous. When I hear planes at night, I can't sleep at all. And when I try to study, I struggle to remember things and can't concentrate. I don't know how to overcome this.”
The schools in Loinanhpa Village and Daw Si Ei Village were hit on the same day, 5 February 2024 and were deliberately targeted by the junta and hit in the morning not long after school had started. A junta jet dropped two 500 pound bombs on the school in Daw Si Ei Village before going and dropping a 250 pound bomb and a 500 pound bomb on the school in Loinanhpa Village. Four students and an adult were killed in the two airstrikes on the schools and a further 10 students and teachers were injured.
A teacher at an independent school for displaced children in western Demoso Township said that since hearing about the deliberate and targeted bombings of Daw Si Ei and Loinanhpa village schools her students have noticeably changed. They now anxiously seek hiding places when they hear the sound of a plane.
Daw Mu Se pointed out that the deliberate targeting of schools not only violates children's right to education and survival but also infringes upon their basic human rights.
She said to NMG: “Two of the six serious violations of children's rights are happening in Karenni State. These include the targeting of schools and hospitals, and the blocking of humanitarian aid.”
She called on the international community to take notice and action over such violations of children’s rights by the junta and provide stronger support to human rights organisations and civil society groups in Karenni State.
In Karenni State, the junta frequently carries out shelling attacks and airstrikes not only in war zones but also in civilian areas where there is no active fighting, targeting schools, homes, and religious buildings, causing immense suffering to many children.
According to the Karen Human Rights Group (KnHRG), in February 2025 in Karenni State, one child was killed in an airstrike, another child was killed by artillery fire and one child was injured by a landmine.
