The United Nations says the Myanmar Armed Forces and seven ethnic armed groups, including the Kachin, Karen and Shan rebels, still use children in conflict
BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The Myanmar army discharged 42 children and young adults who had been recruited for soldiering and other duties on Sunday, part of a U.N. deal to end the use of child fighters, the United Nations’ children’s agency UNICEF said.
Last June, Myanmar signed an agreement with the United Nations to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers after years of negotiations. However, rights groups have criticised Myanmar’s government for not moving quickly enough to free them and urged the army and rebel groups to stop recruiting young people.
“We’re very happy for the 42 children and their families today but we must accelerate efforts so that many more children benefit from release,” the U.N. Resident Coordinator in Myanmar Ashok Nigam said in a statement.
“We expect the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s Armed Forces) will now be in a position to speed up the release of all the children,” he added.
The impoverished Southeast Asian nation, formerly known as Burma, is one of 22 countries worldwide which the U.N. says are violating international law on the rights of children in armed conflicts.
The latest report by the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Myanmar's government had made progress in reducing the recruitment of children to serve as fighters but still needed to stamp out the practice.
It also said seven ethnic armed groups such as the Karen groups in the east of the country and the Kachin in the north also recruit and use child soldiers.
The 42 released on Sunday include 34 children under 18 years of age and eight others who are older but were recruited as children. They have been released to their families and friends, UNICEF said.
NO JUSTIFICATION FOR CHILD SOLIDERS
“No child should have to endure the hardship of being taken away from their families, friends, schools and communities,” Nigam said.
“Nothing justifies the recruitment of children in armed forces,” he added.
While no verifiable data exists on the number of children recruited by the Tatmadaw, human rights group Burma Campaign UK estimates there are 5,000.
Since 2006, over 520 children have been discharged and 350 reintegrated into their communities, UNICEF told Thomson Reuters Foundation.
A briefing by Child Soldiers International released in May said children who escape from the army continue to be detained and treated as adult deserters.
“Despite interventions by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), relevant legislation has not been amended and no regulations or specific orders have been issued to authorities that the arrest, detention and conviction of children for “desertion” are unlawful,” it said.
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