‘I just want my legs back': Myanmar landmine casualties soar
Associated PressBANGKOK — The 3-year-old boy had taken only two steps from his mother’s lap when a deafening explosion rang out. But in Myanmar, which isn’t party to the treaty, the use of mines has soared since the military seized power from the democratically elected government in February 2021 and armed resistance has skyrocketed. Landmines are planted by all sides of the conflict in Myanmar, and they’re responsible for surging civilian casualties, including an alarming number of children as victims, according to an AP analysis based on data and reports from nonprofit and humanitarian organizations, interviews with civilian victims, families, local aid workers, military defectors and monitoring groups. ___ “Leaving an activated mine like this is the same as releasing a monster,” said a 26-year-old military defector who worked as a combat engineer platoon commander in Myanmar. Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, Landmine Monitor’s Myanmar expert, said his group counts only casualties it can confirm with confidence: “We’ve always been undercounting.” Experts concede the total number of casualties may seem small, with Myanmar’s population of about 56 million, but say the rapid increase is distressing nonetheless.
History of this topic
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‘I just want my legs back': Myanmar landmine casualties soar
Associated Press
'I just want my legs back': Myanmar landmine casualties soar
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