Photo by Saahmadbulbul, CC BY-SA 4.0

A recent UN report reveals that Myanmar’s junta violence has disproportionately harmed persons with disabilities. At least 117 persons with disabilities were killed—wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing aids often left or destroyed during attacks. Many are unable to flee quickly, and evacuation efforts are often physically inaccessible. As a result, persons with disabilities are frequently left behind during military operations, exposing them to a heightened risk of torture, ill-treatment, and lethal violence if discovered.

Under Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Myanmar is obligated to take “all necessary measures” to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies. Furthermore, UN Security Council Resolution 2475, adopted in 2019, all UN member states, including Myanmar, are to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination and marginalization of persons with disabilities in situations of armed conflict, especially those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. However, reports show that persons with disabilities in Myanmar are routinely denied accessible evacuation, subjected to violence, and deprived of essential services.

Amnesty International has submitted a report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities regarding Article 11 outlining the conditions faced by persons with disabilities in Myanmar.  These reports detailed how individuals with mental disabilities were subjected to extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, and torture, often because soldiers perceived them as failing to comply with orders. Persons with mental and physical disabilities continue to face social, cultural, and political obstacles, and widespread stigma creates conditions of isolation, dependency, and emotional distress.