The World Must Act to Stop More Myanmar Children From Being Killed
Myanmar has seen many “saddest days” since the coup. Last Friday was the latest one. At around 1 p.m., military helicopters, MI-35s, swooped down from the sky and opened fire on their target with their machine guns. Their target was not a battleground but a school where about 200 young students were attending classes. The aerial attack went on for nearly one hour, killing nine children, including two 7-year-olds, as well as six adults in the compound.
Right after the airstrikes, infantry troops encroached and attacked the school, which is located in a monastery in Let Yet Kone Village, Depayin, Sagaing. Two more children were killed by the soldiers.
Over the past one-and-a-half years since the coup, at least 382 children have been killed or maimed, more than 1,400 have been arbitrarily arrested, and 142 have been tortured, according to a report given by the UN Special Rapporteur in June.