World Vision demands end to violence against children by ‘very forces meant to protect them’

By DMG 31 Mar 2021

DMG Newsroom
31 March 2021, Sittwe 

World Vision has called on Myanmar security forces to cease violence against children, saying that through March 29, more than 40 of 510 civilian deaths documented amid crackdowns on anti-regime protesters were children. 

On Saturday alone, 114 people were killed due to the lethal crackdowns by security forces, and at least 10 of them were minors, World Vision said. 

Nearly 1,000 children were estimated to have been arbitrarily detained through the end of March, it said. 

“Children continue to be hurt or killed by the very forces meant to protect them, within homes and communities, where they should be safe. The brutality and traumatising scenes unfolding in their lives will leave deep psychological, physical and emotional scars which a lifetime may not heal,” World Vision said in a statement on Wednesday. “The use of intimidation, force, tear gas, rubber bullets and firepower by security forces against children and civilians is unacceptable. It must stop now.”  

The international humanitarian aid organisation said it would continue to stand with children in Myanmar to ensure that they receive the best possible level of support within a limited INGO operating context. 

“Protracted instability will lead to generational psychological and socio-economic harm. A year of school closures and business disruption due to COVID-19 are set to worsen existing and create new vulnerabilities, increase hardship and poverty across the nation,” it said. 

UNICEF Myanmar released a statement on March 24 saying that continued use of force against children, including the use of live ammunition by security forces, was taking a devastating toll on children in Myanmar. 

Many detained children and young people are being held without access to legal counsel, in violation of their human rights, the UN child rights agency said.  

World Vision was one of several INGOs that released a joint statement on February 12 saying they were “deeply concerned about the military seizure of power in the country in light of the potential immediate and longer-term impacts on the safety, rights and wellbeing of people across Myanmar, particularly those already experiencing vulnerability and marginalisation.” 

“We call on all stakeholders to respect the fundamental human rights of all people in Myanmar, including freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of speech, and free flow of information, and to refrain from all forms of violence against peaceful protestors, journalists and media workers,” the INGOs said.