KNPP Challenges Child Soldiers Report

By VIOLET CHO
The Irrawaddy News
www.irrawaddy.org

February 12, 2008 - Burma’s Karen National Progressive Party (KNPP) on Tuesday challenged a UN report claiming its armed wing, the Karenni Army, is recruiting child soldiers.

The Karenni Army was among nine non-state groups named in a special report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deploring “grave violations” of children’s rights in Burma.

The KNNP issued a press statement claiming the report lacked credibility and calling on Ban Ki-moon to remove the Karenni Army from the list. The statement charged that the UN had failed to ascertain the situation on the ground before writing the report.

The KNPP said it had invited representatives from UNICEF and other UN agencies to visit areas controlled by the Karenni Army and assess the situation on the ground, but had received no response.

The KNPP declared that it had a commitment to adhere to international conventions against the use of child soldiers. It said it had worked hard to eliminate the recruitment of young people into its forces.

KNNP Vice-Secretary Khu Oo Reh said the UN report was biased and lacked “fairness.” There was no justification for the inclusion of the Karenni Army, he said.

The UN report listed nine non-state groups accused of recruiting child soldiers: the United Wa State Army, the Karen National Liberation Army, the Karenni Army, the Kachin Independence Army, the Karenni National Liberation Front, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, the Shan State Army-South, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance and the Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council. The Burmese Army was also accused of recruiting child soldiers.

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report issued in October 2007 said the Karenni Army had indeed stopped recruiting children, and recommended its removal from the UN list. The HRW report also noted that the Karen National Liberation Arm had taken steps to end the recruitment of children.

However, the HRW report said that children were still serving in other ethnic armies and in the Burmese army. Children as young as 10 were recruited by force into Burma’s army, it charged, quoting former soldiers who said that in many military training camps, children made up more than 30 percent of new recruits.