Myanmar soldiers kill 7-year-old girl in a shooting

A 7-year-old girl sitting on her father’s knee had been shot by the Myanmar’s military as military continues to seize control after military coup. She is the youngest victim among deaths lost since the coup, which took place on Feb. 1.

According to news media including BBC and Reuters, Khin Myo Chit was shot in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, in her home around 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The child was shot in the abdomen and rushed to the hospital, but died.

Khin Myo’s older sister told Myanmar Now, a local news agency, that the military had arrived in the neighborhood in motorcycles, kicking the family’s door open. They ordered everyone to sit down and asked her father whether there were any other people in the house. When her father said no, they accused him of lying. When her father repeated that all six members of the family were present, a soldier pulled the trigger and killed Khin Myo, who had been sitting on her father’s knee.

Reuters reported that a 14-year-old boy in Mandalay had also been shot to death at his home by the military on the same day. AFP News reported that the shooting death of a seven-year-old has triggered global outrage to the military government. Save the Children announced on Wednesday that at least 20 deaths were related to children aged under 18. “The military’s ruthless and terrible crackdown on peaceful protests are taking the lives of children,” the humanitarian organization said in a statement.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com