The military junta ruled neighboring country of India, currently under crisis due to pro-democracy demonstrations is reportedly using all methods to recruit soldiers into its army. In a scathing report human rights watch a global NGO has alleged that the junta was forcibly recruiting under aged boys into its armed forces. It also reported of several instances where boys were being bought and sold by the army.
Children as young as 10 year-old-boys are being enlisted into the ranks of Myanmar’s depleted armed forces. The junta is even capturing and kidnapping boys, this has intensified after the recent pro-democracy protests, says Human Rights Watch.
Formerly known as Burma, the country has been ruled by self-serving military dictators since the past four decades. Disillusioned citizens are simply unwilling to enlist into any of the government services. Moreover several disgruntled soldiers after are deserting the army. This has resulted in the government resorting to desperate bids to replenish its army. In its desperation the junta is putting immense pressure on military recruiters who are resorting to buying children for the army. These boys are beaten up and held as virtual prisoners and trained to serve the junta. When confronted by UN children’s bodies, the government denies it is so.
Myanmar’s military government, under international scrutiny for its brutal suppression of the biggest pro-democracy protests in 20 years, insists that its armed forces are made up of volunteers over 18.
This declaration of the junta is proved wrong by the extensive interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch. Out of 20 former soldiers interviewed by the organization, 19 of them agreed that at least 30 percent of their fellow trainees were under 18.
The government’s deployment of the army in September 2007 to attack Buddhist monks and other peaceful protesters may increase the vulnerability of children to recruitment even further. Even before the crackdown, young men were reluctant to join the military. The use of the army in the attacks, killings and detention of protesters may further discourage voluntary enlistment, and prompt recruiters to seek out even greater numbers of child recruits,
says the report.
Many Western countries have placed economic and military sanctions against Myanmar. Human Rights Watch has called on the U.N. Security Council to strengthen the sanctions to include measure like an embargo on arms sales.
Last month when monks led pro-democracy protests across Myanmar, after an unpopular fuel price rise in August, they were ruthlessly crushed. These protests were the first since two decades: the last was the 1988 rebellion, which was crushed by the military, resulting in over 3,000 deaths.
Though a small country, Myanmar has a big army, estimated at 375,500 in 2006, and ranks among Asia’s largest after China and India.
Since 2005, new recruits were bought from poor families by agents for 25,000 to 50,000 kyat and sold to the military recruiters.
One boy recruited at age 11 told Human Rights Watch that he failed his recruitment physical because he was only four feet three tall and weighed only 70 pounds (31 kg), but that his recruiter bribed the medical officer to ensure his recruitment regardless,
concludes the report.
