Today February 13th, marks Myanmar's Children's Day. Sadly, since the Military Council staged the coup over three years ago, the toll on minors under the age of 18 has been devastating, with the death toll already exceeding 600.
As per the list disclosed by the National Unity Government (NUG) on February 6th, over 630 children have lost their lives in the violence ensuing from the coup.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) also issued a separate statement indicating that between 2021 and the final day of 2023, over 500 children lost their lives due to armed conflicts.
These children perished due to various causes, including being caught in gunfights in villages, enduring excessive torture in interrogation centers and prisons, being struck by bullets, and becoming casualties of airstrikes and artillery bombardments.
Numerous children also fell victim to artillery shells while seeking refuge in homes, classrooms, churches, monasteries, and refugee camps.
In other words, many children in Myanmar lost their lives in locations that should never have been targeted by military forces.
On October 9th of last year, the Junta conducted an airstrike on a refugee camp near the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) near Laiza, resulting in the tragic loss of 29 lives, including 11 children. In April, an air assault on Pazigyi village, claimed the lives of approximately 40 children.
On December 27th, the Ta'ang Women's Organization (TWO) reported that 28 children had been killed and 47 other minors injured by artillery shells, air-dropped bombs, and landmines in northern Shan State, including Namhsan Township. These tragic incidents occurred between October 27th and December 27th, during the period when 'Operation 1027' was in full swing.
On February 2nd, three children tragically died when they found an unexploded ordnance from a previous battle and played with it.
On February 5th, in Shadaw Township, Karenni State, the Junta troops brutally killed 7 local individuals, among them a pregnant woman and 4 children aged between 3 and 7 years old.
On that very day, the Junta's Air Force dropped bombs on two schools situated in two villages to the west of Demoso Township, killing 4 children and leaving at least 10 others injured.
As a result of the repression following the coup, the highest number of children lost their lives in Sagaing Region, nearly 200 in total. More than 300 children were also killed in regions including Magway, Mandalay, Bago, Tanintharyi, Ayeyarwady, Yangon, Naypyidaw, as well as in Chin, Shan, Rakhine, Karen, Karenni, Mon, and Kachin states.
AAPP stated that over 700 children are currently detained by the Military Council, with the majority of them held in Yangon.
These figures represent only the data collected by AAPP to the best of its ability, suggesting that the actual number could be higher in reality.
February 13th, the birthday of General Aung San, the revered figure known as the father of Myanmar's independence, was designated as the country's Children's Day in 1956.
Sections 60 to 65 of Chapter 17 of the Children's Law underscore the obligation of relevant authorities and armed organizations to actively restrain and safeguard children, thereby preventing their exposure to harm during armed conflicts.
However, while these provisions are outlined in the law, in practice, children across Myanmar are not only losing their lives in tragic ways but also enduring profound suffering due to the deprivation of their rights to education, healthcare support, and the freedom to live without fear.
