Since the February 2021 coup the Myanmar junta has murdered 91 children under the age of 14, said Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations.

He made the comment on 10 October during a discussion on children's rights in the third committee of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

U Kyaw Moe Tun added that as of 7 October this year 2,338 civilians have been brutally killed by the Military Council junta. Of those 91 were children under 14 and 209 were between the ages of 15 and 19.

He said that children in Myanmar are the main targets of the terrorist acts carried out by the Myanmar military.

He also highlighted the lack of such protection for children in Myanmar and the need for guarantees that children can fully enjoy their human rights without suffering oppression or being violated.

U Kyaw Moe Tun highlighted some recent examples of the junta murdering children. He said: “Children were killed when the Myanmar military bombed the school in Le Yet Kone village, Sagaing Region, and did not allow their bodies to be taken back [by their relatives]. Teachers and some children with injuries were also detained. Also, a three-year-old and a three-month-old were sentenced to three years in prison along with their mother and grandmother.”

He asked: “I would like to question why the UN did not intervene in these incidents and decided to remain silent.”

He concluded his speech by saying that whenever the world community postpones taking action against the Myanmar junta, children sacrifice their lives and freedoms.