Children Affected by Armed Conflict in the Borderlands of Myanmar

Kai CHEN, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the School of International Relations, Xiamen University, and an academic visitor affiliated with the University of Oxford China Centre (2021-2022). His principal research focuses on the nexus between human insecurity and international relations, especially children affected by armed conflict in the borderlands of the developing countries. His previous positions include post-doctoral fellow at the School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University, and post-doctoral fellow at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University. He has held visiting appointments at the University of Oxford, King’s College London, National University of Singapore, Kyoto University, Lund University, Cardiff University, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, and Chulalongkorn University. He is the author of Children Affected by Armed Conflict in the Borderlands of Thailand (Springer, 2021).

“This book deserves attention in the fields of law and human rights, political science and international relations, as well as criminal justice—particularly with an interest in human trafficking involving children. … Significant events like wars often take years for scholars to fully comprehend the scope of damage, causes, and broader influence. However, one thing remains clear that children caught in these conflicts will be scared physically and psychologically for decades if not their entire lives.” (Xichen Wang, Sheldon Zhang, International Criminology, June 4, 2025)

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Children Affected by Armed Conflict in the Western Borderlands of Myanmar.- 3. Children Affected by Armed Conflict on the Myanmar-Thai Border.- 4. Children Affected by Armed Conflict on the Myanmar-China Border.- 5. Children’s Insecurity in the Rest of Myanmar.- 6. Displaced Children from Myanmar in the Neighbouring Countries.- 7. What the Stakeholders Have Done to Protect Children from Armed Conflict.- 8. Obstacles Facing the Stakeholders.- 9. Humanitarian Ceasefire: Most Possible Scenario for Protecting Children Affected by Armed Conflict in the Borderlands of Myanmar.- 10. Conclusion.