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Children from the Karen National Union (KNU) insurgent army hold assault weapons during celebrations marking the 51st anniversary of the army's rebellion against the Junta in Tak, near the border with Thailand on January 31, 2000. (Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP/Getty Images)
Burma and the United Nations signed an accord to prevent the army from recruiting or using child soldiers, as well as release those recruits who are underage.
The mandate between the U.N. and Burma, also known as Myanmar, sends “a strong message that children should not, and will no longer, be recruited and used for military purposes,” said U.N. Resident Coordinator Ashok Nigam, who attended the signing ceremony in Naypyidaw, the capital of Burma.
The U.N. has said that there are several parties acting in Burma that use child soldiers. They include the Burmese military and a number of separatist groups who fight against the army.
The U.N. said that Burma now needs to give “meaningful support” to children who were conscripted, including “release and reintegration programs.”
On Wednesday, the State Department listed Burma as a state that is still actively using child soldiers, meaning the country will not receive any military aid unless it ends the practice.
