Well, over four years since the attempt of coup within Myanmar, a civil war just persists with absolutely no abate of political tensions. The two fighting parties within the conflict remain to be as brutal as brutal could be and consist of military groups from within the ruling junta of Myanmar, and opposed groups of armed fighters. In this conflict, the innocent civilians continue to be victims of both sides.
Based on the Conflict Exposure metrics of Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, political violence in Myanmar has touched nearly 90% of the country’s population and is surging. Civilian casualties continue to increase, and Myanmar has emerged as the deadliest war in the world since January 2021, having killed more than 52,720 people.
A report by the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, CFE-DM, indicates that the increasing number of harm caused to civilians has resulted from military airstrikes, drone attacks, and other violent means. Military airstrikes on civilians in 2023 hit a total of 253 cases. In 2024, however, such airstrikes hit 776 cases in just one year. The statistics are over two airstrikes daily. Still, the numbers of attacks, including shootings, torture, and executions, have declined.
In an effort to deal with the mounting challenges on the ground, Myanmar’s military has increased remote violence, with airstrikes, in addition to ramped-up abductions and forced recruitment. The military’s conscription law resulted in an increase in abduction of young people in February 2024. There were 170 abduction events in December 2024, the highest number during the conflict.
The ethnic minorities, who have been fighting for autonomy for years, have aligned themselves with the People’s Defense Force, a pro-democracy resistance formed in the aftermath of the 2021 coup. The civilian casualty toll continues to deteriorate as Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights Office point fingers at groups that also accuse opposition armed groups of violating human rights.
Children are not spared by the conflict; 6 million children are trapped in the worst humanitarian crisis. Recently, Myanmar’s Ambassador to the UN revealed that 3.5 million displaced persons include 33% children. Countless casualties result from airstrikes, which indiscriminately target civilians, leaving behind dead, orphaned, or disabled children.
