The Story of Khin Myo Chit
The Story of Khin Myo Chit – The 7-Year-Old Girl Killed in Her Father's Arms (2021)
On March 23, 2021, just weeks after the Myanmar military staged a coup and overthrew the elected government, soldiers stormed into homes in Mandalay, searching for anti-coup activists and protestors. That day, they entered the home of a family simply trying to stay safe.
Inside was Khin Myo Chit, a 7-year-old girl, sitting on her father's lap. Her family had told soldiers there were no protestors in the house. The girl’s father said she was frightened and ran toward him to hide.
A soldier, without warning or provocation, fired his rifle.
The bullet struck Khin Myo Chit in the stomach.
She died shortly after in her father's arms, as her family desperately tried to get help. “They shot her while she was in my lap,” he said through tears in interviews afterward.
Her death became a symbol of the indiscriminate brutality of the military regime. She was one of the youngest victims killed during the military crackdown that followed the coup.
International outcry followed, but the violence in Myanmar only escalated. Thousands more civilians, including children, were killed or imprisoned. Whole villages were burned in ethnic minority regions like Chin, Kachin, and Karen states.
But the story of Khin Myo Chit remains etched in the hearts of Myanmar’s people. Her face was carried on signs in protests. Her name was chanted as a symbol of resistance. In a war full of statistics and politics, her story reminded the world of the human cost of tyranny.
Comments
Post a Comment