Children held and tortured by Myanmar military, UN says

Children as young as two have been detained by Myanmar's military, often as proxies for their parents, and held in prison facilities where torture is systematic, UN investigators have warned.

- Rebecca Ratcliffe

The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), which was set up to document and share evidence of abuse with national, regional and international courts, said in a report that the "frequency and brutality" of atrocities inside the country had continued to escalate, more than four years after the military seized power in a coup in February 2021.

The IIMM said it had collected evidence from witnesses indicating that children aged between two and 17 had been detained, often in lieu of their parents.