An aspect of military activities that occur around the world is the use of child soldiers in the military. Children are favoured because the easily available small arms make it easier for children to use weapons. Certain groups may reach out to children because they are innocent and more impressionable. This vulnerability is exploited, and many children grow up knowing only violence.
This is a growing global problem because it is difficult to demobilise and reintegrate these children into the society, as they are often severely traumatized. According to the UNICEF, recent developments in warfare have increased the dangers for children. It is estimated that 2 million children have been killed; 12 million left homeless and 10 million psychologically traumatised.
Myanmar’s regime has the largest number of child soldiers in the world, and thousands of children serve in the national army, many of whom are picked up from the market streets in a recruitment drive to tackle the high rates of desertion and a lack of willing volunteers. This number has increased since the cyclone has separated many children from their families. It is one of the world’s worst perpetrators of child recruitment, as identified by the UN Secretary General.
The UN Security Council was created some two years ago to address abuses against children in armed conflict. The group can apply sanctions against violators like Myanmar, that repeatedly engage in child recruitment in the army.
However, it was found that the Security Council did not even acknowledge that Myanmar’s army recruited children. No sanctions were applied and the Security Council was looking forward to cooperating with the regime.
This approach was notably different from the approach used on the Sri Lank’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which was much tougher. The Tamil Tigers were threatened with sanctions should they continue to recruit child soldiers for their civil war, and a six month deadline was given. This tough approach worked and the number of children recruited by the Tamil Tigers dropped from 1,090 to 26 in 2008.
In 2004, the military government also established a committee to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers, but Human Rights Watch’s investigation found that little action was taken to end child recruitment, and reports of child soldier use were repeatedly denied. It was found that Myanmar’s diplomatic supporters are China and Russia, and are also main arms suppliers to Myanmar.
Why is it there such cover up regarding this issue? Human Rights Watch says the factor is China. Myanmar’s record of child soldier recruitment was not often discussed due to China preventing the Security Council from talking about it. According to a recent article by the Human Rights Watch, China’s representatives have rejected efforts to pressure Myanmar to address the use of child soldiers.
China has a close relationship with Myanmar, and views Myanmar as a strategic ally, and has provided economic support to keep Myanmar’s economy afloat. Many roads, bridges, airport facilities and telecommunication networks are built with China’s help.
This brings to mind about the recent uproar regarding China’s human rights record. This could be yet another issue that shows China’s failure to uphold some standards, for example, protection against children. Myanmar’s regime has even less incentive to end the recruitment of child soldiers without any pressure from the UN Security Council.
