A United Nations report has detailed how violence perpetrated by Myanmar's military junta has disproportionately impacted persons with disabilities. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews stated that discriminatory barriers have intensified since the 2021 coup, exacerbating the group's vulnerability. He explained that pervasive social stigma and physical obstacles, rather than individual impairments, are the primary drivers of exclusion.
The report noted that persons with disabilities often cannot flee military attacks and face cultural beliefs that attribute impairments to past life misdeeds, leading to internalized shame. Before the coup, the country had been making gradual progress on disability rights. In response to the current crisis, some citizens have collaborated to draft a Federal Democracy Charter, which aims to establish a new constitution and democratic institutions to safeguard the rights of all citizens.
The report noted that persons with disabilities often cannot flee military attacks and face cultural beliefs that attribute impairments to past life misdeeds, leading to internalized shame. Before the coup, the country had been making gradual progress on disability rights. In response to the current crisis, some citizens have collaborated to draft a Federal Democracy Charter, which aims to establish a new constitution and democratic institutions to safeguard the rights of all citizens.
