Sold to Be Soldiers
October 31, 2007

Sold to be Soldiers

The Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers in Burma

Map of Burma
Terminology and Abbreviations
Summary
The Government of Burma's Armed Forces: The Tatmadaw...
Government Failure to Address Child Recruitment
Non-state Armed Groups
The Local and International Response..
II. Recommendations
To the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
To All Non-state Armed Groups
To the Governments of Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, India, and China..
To the Government of Thailand..
To the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
To UNICEF
To the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
To Member States of the United Nations
To the UN Security Council
To the International Labour Organization..
To the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar
III. Methodology
IV. Background
V. The Tatmadaw: The State Military
The Tatmadaw's Staffing Crisis
Recruitment
Key Factors in Child Recruitment
Children as Commodities: The Recruit Market
Recruitment of the Very Young..
The Su Saun Yay Recruit Holding Camps
Training..
Deployment and Active Duty
Combat
Abuses against Civilians
Desertion, Imprisonment, and Re-recruitment
The Future of Tatmadaw Child Recruitment
The Government of Burma's Response to the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers
The Committee for the Prevention of Military Recruitment of Underage Children
Demobilization..
Reintegration..
Measures for Raising Awareness
Enforcement of Recruitment Laws and Regulations
Government Cooperation with International Agencies
VI. Child Soldiers in Non-State Armed Groups
United Wa State Army
Karenni Army
Karen National Liberation Army102
Shan State Army South.. 105
Kachin Independence Army107
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army109
Kachin Defense Army111
Mon National Liberation Army112
Karenni Nationalities People's Liberation Front113
Shan Nationalities People's Liberation Army115
Rebellion Resistance Force.. 116
KNU-KNLA Peace Council117
VII. The International Response120
The United Nations Security Council120
United Nations Country Team... 122
UNICEF123
ILO... 124
Neighboring country and cross-border initiatives125
VIII. Legal Standards129
Child Recruitment as a War Crime.. 130
International Standards on Demobilization, Reintegration, and Rehabilitation131
Acknowledgements132
Appendices133
Appendix A: SPDC Plan of Action regarding child soldiers133
Appendix B: Human Rights Watch letter to the UN Mission of Myanmar, August 22, 2007137
Appendix C: Reply from the UN Mission of Myanmar, September 12, 2007138
Appendix D: KNPP Deed of Commitment regarding child soldiers139
Appendix E: KNLA Deed of Commitment regarding child soldiers140