Article

Child Soldiers in Myanmar’s Armed Conflict and Victimization of Children: Implications for Human Security

R. M. Arivazhagan¹, S. Utham Kumar Jamadhagni², E. Prabhakaran²

• ¹ Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai, India
• ² University of Madras, Chennai, India

Abstract

The abuse experienced by children in armed conflict, most notably through the forced conscription as child soldiers, is one of the most egregious breaches of international law and a considerable threat to the security of human beings. The acute civil war in Myanmar, significantly worsened by the military coup in February 2021, has seen an alarming increase in the occurrence of grave violations impacting children, including recruitment, abduction, sexual violence, and denial of humanitarian access. This paper examines the complexities of children's victimization as child soldiers in Myanmar: physical, psychological, social, and structural victimization and the implications for human security.

Keywords

• Child soldiers
• Human security
• Armed conflict
• Tatmadaw
• Victimization

How to cite (APA 7)

Arivazhagan, R. M., Jamadhagni, S. U. K., & Prabhakaran, E. (2025). Child Soldiers in Myanmar’s Armed Conflict and Victimization of Children: Implications for Human Security. International Journal of Justice and Police Sciences, 1(1), 36–56. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15590501