Myanmar’s military forcibly disappearing boys, young men: report

Myanmar’s security forces are forcibly arresting and disappearing thousands of people, especially boys and young men, in an attempt to break the ongoing outcry following the military coup in February.

The Associated Press reports that more than 3,500 people have been arrested since February. Over three-fourths of the arrested people have been male.

UNICEF has said it is aware of around 1,000 children and young people who have been arrested without access to family or lawyers. The majority are believed to be boys, though data is scarce.

The AP notes that this tactic has long been used by the Myanmar military. Some are killed and many are imprisoned, tortured or go missing.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has recorded 419 arrests and deaths of men in Myanmar, the AP reports. Two-thirds of the men recorded are under the age of 30, and 78 are teenagers. According to the AAPP, around 2,700 of those arrested are being held in an undisclosed location.

“The military are trying to turn civilians, striking workers, and children into enemies,” AAPP’s joint secretary, Ko Bo Kyi, told the AP. “They think if they can kill off the boys and young men, then they can kill off the revolution.”

Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw, called AAPP a “baseless organization” when responding to the AP.

“The security forces are not arresting based on genders and ages,” military spokeswoman Capt. Aye Thazin Myint, told the outlet. “They are only detaining anyone who is rioting, protesting, causing unrest, or any actions along those lines.”

According to the most recent estimates from the AAPP, 769 people have been killed by the military junta, more than 4,700 have been arrested and nearly 3,700 are currently detained.

AAPP DAILY UPDATE (05/05)

769 killed by this junta

4766 total arrested since coup

3696 currently detained/sentenced

1458 evading arrest warrant

brief https://t.co/IBSj8lSqLg
detained https://t.co/cSKbmmy4CY
fatalities https://t.co/rb1AQbW2XB
released https://t.co/kBFJ5FnK7P pic.twitter.com/IPQBNgbYJM

— AAPP (Burma) (@aapp_burma) May 5, 2021