Roundup: Myanmar reiterates commitment to end recruitment of child soldiers

The Myanmar military has reiterated its strong commitment to ending recruitment and use of children in the army.

A total of 42 more child soldiers have been released from military services and handed back to their families recently, adding up to 418 from January 2014 to January 2015, a record number of children released from the Armed Forces.

The move signified Myanmar military's commitment to stopping recruitment of under-age soldiers.

Since June 2012, 595 children have been discharged, of which 70 percent were released in the last 12 months.

A review of the Joint Action Plan, which took place in September last year, was an opportunity not only to acknowledge progress made so far, but also to define essential remaining steps particularly to strengthen oversight of the recruitment process.

Other agreed areas of emphasis include accountability for civilian or military perpetrators of underage recruitment, increased protection by the law, and further training for military personnel on children and armed conflict.

Under the coordination of the Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement, various partners provide immediate support for the reintegration of these children, with an access to education and vocational training, and income generating activities.

Efforts have been made last year by the Ministry of Education, which now ensures that children discharged from the armed forces could attend school without any delay.

"As children continue to suffer from the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, such efforts must continue, intensify and be more systematic to provide children with effective protection against any form of abuse," said Bertrand Bainvel, UN children's fund UNICEF representative to Myanmar and co-chair of the UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR).

Under a program of protecting under-age children from taking military services, Myanmar signed an 18-month Action Plan with the CTFMR in 2012 and renewed to another six months in December 2013.

The UN started a dialogue on issues related to child soldiers six years ago, agreeing to the appointment of a high-level focal point from the Ministry of Social Welfare to engage with the UN Country Team and especially UNICEF on all issues related to children and armed conflict as well as the setting up of a monitoring mechanism to find out the real situation in the country regarding child soldiers.

Myanmar has made efforts to stop recruiting minors for military service, promising continuous supervision over the personnel concerned to ensure that they do not accept minors, and working according to the law, rules and regulations and directives.

The country formed the Committee for Prevention against Recruiting Minors into Army in January 2005.

Myanmar's National Committee on the Rights of Child has also pledged to ensure the rights of child in the nation which was cited as the rights to survival, to develop to the fullest to protection from harmful influence, abuse and exploitation and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. Endi