Posted on 08/19/2025 11:54:34 AM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
As families chased from their homes by the Burma Army return to their villages, hidden mines still threaten homes, churches, and fields. The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) are working with local volunteer deminers under civilian authority to train communities, improve detection, and get the gear needed to make the land safe again.
Since the 2021 military coup, landmines have become one of the deadliest threats facing civilians in Burma. In Karenni and southern Shan state alone, there have been 205 recorded landmine incidents since that time, with actual numbers likely far greater due to underreporting. Burma now has one of the highest landmine casualty rates globally. Mines are planted in homes, churches, paths, rice fields, and at water sources, deliberately designed to terrorize and displace. Tragically, more than twenty percent of the victims are children.
In June 2025, our FBR team traveled to Thay Su Let Village in Karenni State, an area once occupied by the Burma Army and still littered with landmines.
Why This Matters Now – by the numbers
1In 2023, Myanmar recorded more than 1,000 landmine/ERW casualties—the highest total of any country according to Landmine Monitor 2024. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) parallel monitoring lists 1,052 casualties that year with children representing roughly 20 percent of victims. Differences reflect data sources and methods; both confirm extreme harm. 2In 2024, casualties stayed very high: 692 in the first six months, and 889 in the first nine months.
3Humanitarian clearance by outside organizations is largely not permitted in Myanmar. Operations are mostly restricted to risk education and some victim assistance. This leaves communities and local structures to carry a dangerous burden with minimal equipment. Thousands of families remain displaced or living in fear, unable to return home due to undetected landmines.
(Excerpt) Read more at freeburmarangers.org ...
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This is where Trump tariff policies may be useful. Threaten prohibitively high tariffs on Burma Shave unless the Burmese army starts behaving in a more civilized manner.
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