Myanmar's Military Deploys Banned Landmines Against Civilians

Myanmar's armed forces have sharply increased use of antipersonnel landmines—weapons banned worldwide but legal in Myanmar—since the 2021 coup. Human Rights Watch documented the surge in November 2024. These mines cannot tell soldiers from farmers or children. The tactic accompanies over 100,000 burned homes as civil conflict widens, with Myanmar's refusal to sign the Ottawa Treaty limiting international pressure to stop it.