Myanmar military releases record number of children

Myanmar military releases record number of children

Myanmar has freed more than 100 children from military service in the largest single release since the government agreed to stop using underaged soldiers two years ago, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Thursday.

The move shows the commitment of Myanmar's military in speeding up efforts to end the recruitment and use of children, UNICEF said in a statement.

While a total of 109 children were released, the agency warned that boys were still being illegally recruited from poor families.

The military has released a total of 472 child soldiers from its ranks since the government of Myanmar signed a 2012 agreement with the UN to stop recruiting people under the age of 18.

There are no verifiable figures to prove how many children currently serve in the military, according to the UN agency.

"Not only the military, also at least seven other armed groups still recruit and use child soldiers in Myanmar," said Bertrand Bainvel, head of UNICEF in Myanmar.

The widespread use of children as soldiers and labourers by the army, and also by some ethnic armed groups, was one of many human rights abuses that earned Myanmar pariah status among Western democracies during the two previous decades.

GNA

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