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(New York) — The Burmese government should take immediate steps to demobilize child soldiers from its national army, Human Rights Watch said today. Earlier today, a U.N. committee found that Burma is violating international law by recruiting and using children as soldiers.

The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, which includes 18 child rights experts from around the world, stated that is was “extremely concerned” at the use of children as soldiers by both governmental armed forces and armed ethnic opposition groups. Meeting in Geneva, the committee issued its findings following a formal review of Burma’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified treaty in the world.

The Committee issued specific recommendations urging the Burmese government to demobilize and reintegrate all combatants under 18, ensure that all military recruits are at least 18 and enlist voluntarily, and provide educational and other assistance to children affected by the conflict.

“Burma’s use of children as soldiers is unacceptable,” said Jo Becker, advocacy director for the Children’s Rights Division. “Rangoon should act immediately on the U.N. recommendations and end this terrible practice.”

A 2002 investigation by Human Rights Watch found widespread forced recruitment of children as young as 11 by government forces and concluded that Burma has the largest number of child soldiers in the world. According to accounts of former government soldiers interviewed by Human Rights Watch, 20 percent or more of its active duty soldiers may be children under the age of 18. Burma is believed to have an estimated 350,000 soldiers in its national army.

Armed opposition groups in Burma also recruit child soldiers, although on a much smaller scale. Human Rights Watch documented the use of child soldiers by 19 different armed opposition groups.

In an October report to the U.N. Security Council, Secretary-General Kofi Annan identified the Burmese government and armed opposition groups in Burma as violators of international laws prohibiting the recruitment and use of children as soldiers. In response, Burmese authorities announced a new Committee to Prevent the Recruitment of Child Soldiers.

“The government’s action to form a committee to prevent child recruitment is a positive step,” said Becker. “But the government must do more. It should immediately demobilize all children currently in its forces, and remove all incentives for recruiters to target children.”

Recruiters for Burma’s army frequently apprehend boys at train and bus stations, markets and other public places, threatening them with jail if they refuse to join the army. Former child soldiers interviewed by Human Rights Watch reported that recruiters frequently receive cash and bags of rice in exchange for each new recruit. After brutal training, child soldiers are deployed into units, where some are forced to fight against ethnic armed opposition groups. Many are also forced to commit human rights abuses against civilians, including rounding up villagers for forced labor, burning villages, and carrying out executions.

“The Burmese government is seeking to improve its image and gain international recognition,” said Becker. “If the government is really serious about its promised reform agenda, it urgently needs to improve its record on child rights.”

The Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibits any recruitment of children under the age of 15 or their use in armed conflict. It also upholds stronger applicable national laws. Because Burma’s national law sets a higher age limit of 18 for any recruitment into the military, this age limit also applies under international law.

Human Rights Watch urged the government of Burma to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which sets 18 as the minimum age for participation in armed conflict, for compulsory or forced recruitment, and for any recruitment by nongovernmental armed groups. During the government’s appearance before the Committee on May 26, the delegation indicated that the government was reviewing the protocol and considering ratification.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child assesses states’ compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child approximately every five years. Governments are required to submit written reports and also send delegations to appear before the Committee.

Burma ratified the Convention in 1991, and was last examined by the Committee in 1997.

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