[OPINION] Myanmar: Children are still bearing the brunt of the military coup

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'More than six months after the coup in Myanmar, children are still suffering through a horrific situation they have done nothing to bring about.' Opinion

The following piece was written collectively by Amihan Abueva and other former representatives to the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, children are still suffering through a horrific situation they have done nothing to bring about. The junta and its proxies have killed scores of boys and girls, arbitrarily detained hundreds, and driven the country to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe.

According to the UN, at least 75 children have been killed in Myanmar in the past six months, although the actual number is thought to be much higher. Some boys and girls lost their lives in the brutal response to peaceful street protests earlier this year, while others were simply hit by stray bullets. In just one tragic example, six-year-old Khin Myo Chit died in her father’s arms after security forces opened indiscriminate fire during a raid in Mandalay in late March.

More than 1,000 children have been arbitrarily detained since the coup, often because of their participation in peaceful protests. Many face potential charges under sections of the penal code or other laws that seek to criminalize speaking out and voicing peaceful opinions, as the junta tries to repress any criticism. At least 104 children remained in detention in late July, many in the notorious Insein prison where they are at risk of torture, or a deadly COVID-19 outbreak.

Now, Myanmar is also facing a vicious wave of COVID-19, with some of the highest positive testing rates in the world. The junta has fatally mismanaged the situation by hogging oxygen and other vital supplies for themselves and their cronies, and even arrested and attacked medical personnel trying to save lives.

 

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