Myanmar’s Ambassador to the United Nations, U Kyaw Moe Tun, has called for UN and international action against the Myanmar military’s serious crimes against children, including their recruitment and use as soldiers. The ambassador made these remarks during the Second Regular Session of the UNICEF Executive Board for 2025 at UN Headquarters in New York on September 2. According to UN verification, the Myanmar military has committed 2,799 serious crimes against 2,093 children and recruited and used 1,171 children as soldiers. The ambassador noted that the actual numbers could be even higher than these confirmed cases.
The military’s warfare against Myanmar’s people, including children, continues to escalate without cessation. Children are bearing the worst impacts of the crisis, with their situation deteriorating severely. According to the UN Human Rights Office report, in 2024 alone, the military killed 248 children, which represents only a portion of the total civilian casualties. The UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has documented evidence of targeting, torture, and arbitrary detention of children, including those as young as 2 years old. The Myanmar military has been included in the UN’s ‘list of shame’ for committing serious crimes against children during the conflict.
Children are primary victims of landmines and explosive devices while simultaneously suffering from insufficient food and clean water supplies, as well as inadequate healthcare access during displacement. Over one million children in Myanmar are completely unable to receive crucial vaccinations, putting them at risk of preventable but potentially fatal diseases. The ambassador emphasized the urgent need for international attention to Myanmar’s crisis, unwavering solidarity, and particularly the timely implementation of effective measures. He urged UNICEF to use its influential role to demand an immediate end to violence against children, including airstrikes and bombing of civilians, and to call on the international community to support the cessation of these atrocities. The ambassador further stressed that only by completely eliminating the military dictatorship and establishing a federal democratic union can children live safely and regain access to quality education and healthcare opportunities, while being protected from forced military recruitment, child labor, and exploitation.
