Landmines and unexploded ordnance injured or killed more than one person a day in Burma in 2022, according to the United Nations, an increase of almost 40% compared to 2021.
According to Unicef, about two-thirds of the casualties were reported in border areas where ethnic rebels have fought for decades over autonomy and control of resources like jade, timber and the drug trade. But since the coup in 2021, no region has been spared. Nearly a fifth of the casualties were reported north of Mandalay (North), a largely peaceful area before the coup, but which has since become a hotspot for resistance to military rule.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday February 21 that 390 people were injured or killed by landmines or unexploded ordnance in 2022. However, many victims are not counted in conflict zones due to the impossibility of accessing them and collecting data, points to RFI, Marcoluigi Corsi, the representative of Unicef in Burma. Mines are used by all parties to the conflict in Burma, causing significant civilian casualties, including children. It is estimated today that all regions of Burma are contaminated by mines and other explosive remnants of war. »
Children very vulnerable to mines
In 2022, Amnesty International said Myanmar army troops were laying landmines in ” large scale as part of their fight against anti-coup fighters, especially around churches and on paths leading to rice fields. According to the head of Unicef in Burma, children are particularly vulnerable to these explosive devices. ” In Burma, more than a third of the victims [133 enfants, NDLR] landmines and unexploded devices are children. »
The Southeast Asian country is not a signatory to the United Nations convention which prohibits the use, stockpiling or development of antipersonnel mines. ” In the interests of children and for the future of this country, we urge all parties to the conflict to stop using mines and explosive devices. », Calls Marcoluigi Corsi.
According to the junta, more than 5,000 people were killed by anti-coup fighters and allied ethnic rebels between the coup and January this year. More than 3,000 people have been killed by junta security forces, while more than 19,000 people have been arrested in the military crackdown, according to a local monitoring group.
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(And with AFP)