Children and Amputees Most Affected by Myanmar’s Deadly Landmine Crisis

The article discusses the escalating humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, where the military junta has intensified its assault on civilians, including those with disabilities, through the widespread use of landmines.

Intensified Violence and Human Rights Violations

Independent human rights experts, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, and Heba Hagrass, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, have condemned the junta’s tactics. “The junta is doubling the impact of its extensive use of landmines to crush nationwide resistance,” they stated. Reports highlight horrific practices such as forcing civilians to walk through minefields ahead of military units and denying life-saving aid, including medical care and prosthetics, to victims. These actions blatantly violate international human rights laws, including Article 11 of the PLACEHOLDER13b6395dfa2e9c3b and UN PLACEHOLDERf4a3cbaa4feb0a09), which emphasizes protecting persons with disabilities in armed conflict.

Children Bear the Brunt of the Crisis

Children are disproportionately affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Myanmar. According to UNICEF, over 20% of the 1,052 verified civilian casualties from landmine incidents in 2023 involved children—a sharp increase compared to 2022, which saw 390 incidents. Many children, unable to identify the dangers of these deadly weapons, fall victim to the indiscriminate placement of landmines around homes, schools, playgrounds, and agricultural fields. For example, a heartbreaking case involved a child who lost his leg after stepping on a landmine in his family’s paddy field.

Criminalization of Victims

Beyond the physical and emotional trauma suffered by landmine victims, many face criminalization by the military junta. Amputees are being targeted, as missing limbs are falsely associated with resistance activity. “Losing a limb is being seen as evidence of a crime,” the experts noted. Victims, already struggling with life-changing injuries, are now forced into hiding to avoid arrest and harassment by authorities.

A Bleak Reality for Victims

The grim reality for landmine victims is even worse than it appears. Tom Andrews shared the story of a young woman who lost her leg after stepping on a landmine near her home. Adding to her plight, her doctor revealed that she had no hope of obtaining a prosthetic limb due to the junta’s deliberate obstruction of materials necessary for their production. “I was heartbroken to hear her story but infuriated when I learned that the junta was blocking access to critical supplies,” Andrews said.

Urgent Call for Action

Andrews and Hagrass have urged UN Member States to take coordinated steps to weaken the junta’s capacity to harm civilians. Additionally, they called on all parties involved in the conflict to cease laying landmines immediately and to prioritize their removal. “These inhumane practices must stop,” they emphasized.

Special Rapporteurs: Independent Voices for Human Rights

Special Rapporteurs, like Andrews and Hagrass, are independent human rights experts appointed by the UN PLACEHOLDER59637b224982bcd3 under the PLACEHOLDERb37affe3aeeb3f91 system. They voluntarily monitor and report on critical human rights issues. While serving in their individual capacities, they are not considered UN staff and receive no compensation for their work.

This article underscores the dire need for international action to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and to protect vulnerable populations from the devastating impact of landmines and other atrocities.