Myanmar's Junta Uses Banned Landmines Against Civilians in Counterinsurgency Campaign

Since the February 2021 coup, Myanmar's armed forces have accelerated deployment of antipersonnel landmines—banned under the Ottawa Treaty—against civilian populations. Human Rights Watch documented this surge in November 2024. These weapons cannot distinguish combatants from farmers or children. The escalation coincides with over 100,000 homes burned and a widening civil conflict. Myanmar has never signed the treaty, limiting diplomatic leverage to curb the practice.