WASHINGTON: At least 43 children have reportedly been killed by armed forces in Myanmar in the two months since the military coup on February 1, according to Save the Children.
The death toll of children has more than doubled in the past 12 days, demonstrating the utter disrespect of armed forces for the lives of children, Save the Children said in a statement.
“The youngest victim was a girl who was just six years old. A total of 15 children under the age of 16 are among the casualties, including children aged 9 and 11. Among those killed were a 13-year-old boy who was reportedly shot in the head while trying to run away from armed forces, and a 14-year-old Mandalay boy was reportedly shot dead while he was inside or around his home,” the statement added.
The number of children who have been physically injured as a result of the post-coup violence is unknown, but it is likely to be significant. Among those injured was a one-year-old baby who was reportedly shot in the eye with a rubber bullet, the statement read.
The fear, stress, and grief caused by the ongoing violence is having a deep impact on the mental health of millions of children in Myanmar, Save the Children said.
The organization is also alarmed by the reported bombing of a school in Kayin State on March 29, during a series of airstrikes in the area that caused thousands of people to flee. Images show the school, reportedly empty at the time, completely destroyed by the attack. Attacks against schools constitute a grave violation of children’s rights and cannot be justified under any circumstances, Save the Children said in the statement.
Save the Children also tweeted – ” Myanmar is no longer a safe place for children. At least 43 kids have been killed and dozens more wounded, even in their own homes. This deadly violence must stop”.
The total number of people killed now stands at 521, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
The BBC reported Thursday that the family of a seven-year-old girl in Mandalay says she was killed in late March by police while she ran towards her father during a raid on their home.
Similarly, Free Burma Rangers, reported earlier this week that a 5-year-old boy was killed in a bombing on Sunday by Myanmar’s military, which also resulted in facial injuries to a 12-year-old girl hit by shrapnel.
Freelance Writer
