The International Labor Organization (ILO) in Rangoon said on Wednesday it has received an increased number of complaints in 2011 of the Burmese military recruiting underage children.
Steve Marshall, the ILO liaison officer in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy that the increase in complaints is due to an awareness campaign the ILO initiated earlier this year, but that the figures should not be interpreted to mean that there has been an increase in the recruitment of child soldiers by the Burmese army.
He said there is no evidence of active child soldier recruitment in the current conflict zones in Shan State and Kachin State.
According to data by a Rangoon-based voluntary network, the ILO office in Rangoon has received 424 reports or complaints concerning underage recruitment from January until July. It also said that 326 of the cases are “in process,” meaning they have been reported to the military, while 98 are still under ILO investigation.
“I received more complaints from family members [of recruited children] within these last few days,” said Thet Wai, a member of the voluntary network that works closely with ILO. “I am currently assisting in 10 cases of child recruitment.”
The Burmese regime formed a committee in 2004 to investigate child soldier issues. The government has since denied the recruitment of child soldiers in the army. However, ILO said that the number of reports of child recruitment has increased year after year.
Another network member in Rangoon, Ko Soe, said that the recent increase in recruiting children as soldiers is due to the outbreak of hostilities between ethnic armed groups and government forces.
“Child soldiers frequently run away from their army bases,” he said. “When they get caught, they are imprisoned.”
The voluntary network said that 12 cases have been reported to ILO of children being imprisoned for desertion; however only four have been released, according to the network.
Members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and opportunists close to the military serve as brokers across the country in recruiting children for the army, according to network volunteer Maung Maung. As a commission, they receive 50,000 to 70,000 kyat [US $63 to $88] per child, he said.
According to network volunteers, one of the greatest difficulties for a recruited child's family is that they cannot contact their child because the army invariably transfers the child to another location.
In 2002, Human Rights Watch estimated that there were about 70,000 child soldiers in Burma, including those in ethnic armies as well as government forces.
Recently, the UN Security Council agreed a resolution against the recruitment of child soldiers and pressed nations to stop the abuse of children, including rape and attacks on schools.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the resolution—an initiative by current Security Council president Germany—is the eighth since 1998 to condemn nations and militaries which use children to wage war and subject them to brutal violence like rape and maimings.
Steve Marshall, the ILO liaison officer in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy that the increase in complaints is due to an awareness campaign the ILO initiated earlier this year, but that the figures should not be interpreted to mean that there has been an increase in the recruitment of child soldiers by the Burmese army.
He said there is no evidence of active child soldier recruitment in the current conflict zones in Shan State and Kachin State.
According to data by a Rangoon-based voluntary network, the ILO office in Rangoon has received 424 reports or complaints concerning underage recruitment from January until July. It also said that 326 of the cases are “in process,” meaning they have been reported to the military, while 98 are still under ILO investigation.
“I received more complaints from family members [of recruited children] within these last few days,” said Thet Wai, a member of the voluntary network that works closely with ILO. “I am currently assisting in 10 cases of child recruitment.”
The Burmese regime formed a committee in 2004 to investigate child soldier issues. The government has since denied the recruitment of child soldiers in the army. However, ILO said that the number of reports of child recruitment has increased year after year.
Another network member in Rangoon, Ko Soe, said that the recent increase in recruiting children as soldiers is due to the outbreak of hostilities between ethnic armed groups and government forces.
“Child soldiers frequently run away from their army bases,” he said. “When they get caught, they are imprisoned.”
The voluntary network said that 12 cases have been reported to ILO of children being imprisoned for desertion; however only four have been released, according to the network.
Members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and opportunists close to the military serve as brokers across the country in recruiting children for the army, according to network volunteer Maung Maung. As a commission, they receive 50,000 to 70,000 kyat [US $63 to $88] per child, he said.
According to network volunteers, one of the greatest difficulties for a recruited child's family is that they cannot contact their child because the army invariably transfers the child to another location.
In 2002, Human Rights Watch estimated that there were about 70,000 child soldiers in Burma, including those in ethnic armies as well as government forces.
Recently, the UN Security Council agreed a resolution against the recruitment of child soldiers and pressed nations to stop the abuse of children, including rape and attacks on schools.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the resolution—an initiative by current Security Council president Germany—is the eighth since 1998 to condemn nations and militaries which use children to wage war and subject them to brutal violence like rape and maimings.
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