More than 1,000 children have been killed in Myanmar as they continue to suffer not only from the consequences of armed conflict but also as direct targets of attacks, according to a report released by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) on July 1.
Since the military coup, children have been killed and injured in military junta airstrikes, mortar shell attacks, village raids, and indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, the report said.
According to AAPP, 1,083 children were killed by military junta violence between the 2021 coup and the end of June 2026. The youngest victim was only two months old.
Of the children killed, 632 were between newborn and 13 years old, while 451 were over the age of 13. The report added that there are additional child deaths that have yet to be verified.
AAPP said the attacks that killed civilian children violate the fundamental protections set out in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and Customary International Humanitarian Law (CIHL).
The report also said that in some cases, children have been used as hostages to force the arrest of their parents or other family members. It added that children and mothers held in detention have been subjected to serious violations of their rights, including inadequate healthcare and poor detention conditions.
According to AAPP, the child rights crisis in Myanmar is not only a humanitarian emergency but also a human rights crisis directly linked to accountability.
To protect children in Mon areas, the New Mon State Party (NMSP) signed a Geneva Call deed of commitment in 2012, pledging not to recruit child soldiers and to protect children affected by armed conflict.
However, women and child rights activists said child deaths have also increased significantly in Mon areas since the military coup.
