- Full Report in English PDF
- 4-page summary in English PDF
- 4-page summary in Burmese PDF
- Joint Briefing Note to the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict on the Situation of Child Soldiers in Myanmar (23 June 2009) PDF
- Joint Response to UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict’s Conclusions on Myanmar” (9 November 2009) PDF
In the midst of Myanmar’s enduring political and socio-economic turmoil, thousands of children also experience the devastating consequences of protracted armed conflict in parts of the country. For decades Myanmar Armed Forces and associated armed groups have engaged in low-level armed conflict with opposing non-state armed groups (NSAGs) in parts of Kayin (Karen), Kayah (Karenni), Shan, Mon and Chin States. Even in so-called ‘ceasefire areas,’ some NSAGs have retained their arms and in some cases acting as proxy forces of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), wreaking havoc on children and their communities.
The high occurrence and brutality of reported human and child rights violations makes it impossible to deny that Myanmar Armed Forces and NSAGs commit grave violations against children in Myanmar’s armed conflict. The SPDC must no longer deny these children access to sufficient and lifesaving humanitarian assistance. Finally, the UN Security Council and the international community must not deny the urgency of protecting children from violence, maltreatment and abuse in Myanmar’s ongoing armed conflict…
