Tatmadaw sanctions 47 officers for recruiting child soldiers
Forty-Seven Tatmadaw (military) officers who recruited children to become soldiers have been sanctioned by the military, the Ministry of Defence announced in the government media.
The statement, published in state-owned newspapers on Thursday, said the violations were committed by the Tatmadaw in the first year of the second term of the current government.
A total of 47 military officers have faced action, said Lt Gen Sein Win wityhout giving details of the sanctions meted out against the officers.
When joining the military, examinations are carried out to ensure that the recruit is at least 18 years old, including a bone X-ray. A total of 4315 future soldiers have been examined using this method, the Tatmadaw statement said.
A total of 29,580 military personnel including officers have been informed of the prohibition against underage recruiting in the armed forces. The instruction is repeated once every two months, according to the statement.
Moreover, a 12-member committee in charge of preventing military recruitment of children was formed in 2016, at the order of the President’s Office, said Lieutenant General Sein Win.
The government and United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (UNCTFMR) signed an agreement on June 27, 2012, with the aim of preventing military recruitment of underage children in Myanmar. The Tatmadaw said 877 underage soldiers were sent back to their guardians in cooperation with the UNCTFMR.
Former child soldier Aung Ko Htwe was sentenced by a lower court to more than two years’ imprisonment and manual labour on March 28 for sharing his experiences as a child soldier in the Tatmadaw on a local radio station.
Dagon Seikkan Court Judge U Chit Ko Ko ruled that by telling about his experiences as a child soldier on Radio Free Asia), he hurt the image of the armed forces and created fear among the people.
Aung Ko Htwe, who was born in 1995, said he was coerced into joining the armed forces in 2005.
In 2008, he and three other child soldiers deserted, but he was soon arrested for abetting a murder while robbing a motorcyclist, and after a seven-month trial, was sentenced to death on September 8, 2008.
Under U Thein Sein’s presidency, his sentence was reduced to life imprisonment.
When submitted to the Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing with evidence that he had been an underaged soldier, the sentence was reduced to 10 years. After serving nine years in jail, he was released last July.
He was prosecuted on August 10, eight days after the broadcast of his interview with RFA, in which he detailed being forcibly enlisted in the Tatmadaw.
Aung Ko Htwe was sentenced to two years and six months, and is facing other charges for misbehaving in court and disrespecting the constitution.
Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/tatmadaw-sanctions-47-officers-recruiting-child-soldiers.html
The statement, published in state-owned newspapers on Thursday, said the violations were committed by the Tatmadaw in the first year of the second term of the current government.
A total of 47 military officers have faced action, said Lt Gen Sein Win wityhout giving details of the sanctions meted out against the officers.
When joining the military, examinations are carried out to ensure that the recruit is at least 18 years old, including a bone X-ray. A total of 4315 future soldiers have been examined using this method, the Tatmadaw statement said.
A total of 29,580 military personnel including officers have been informed of the prohibition against underage recruiting in the armed forces. The instruction is repeated once every two months, according to the statement.
Moreover, a 12-member committee in charge of preventing military recruitment of children was formed in 2016, at the order of the President’s Office, said Lieutenant General Sein Win.
The government and United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (UNCTFMR) signed an agreement on June 27, 2012, with the aim of preventing military recruitment of underage children in Myanmar. The Tatmadaw said 877 underage soldiers were sent back to their guardians in cooperation with the UNCTFMR.
Former child soldier Aung Ko Htwe was sentenced by a lower court to more than two years’ imprisonment and manual labour on March 28 for sharing his experiences as a child soldier in the Tatmadaw on a local radio station.
Dagon Seikkan Court Judge U Chit Ko Ko ruled that by telling about his experiences as a child soldier on Radio Free Asia), he hurt the image of the armed forces and created fear among the people.
Aung Ko Htwe, who was born in 1995, said he was coerced into joining the armed forces in 2005.
In 2008, he and three other child soldiers deserted, but he was soon arrested for abetting a murder while robbing a motorcyclist, and after a seven-month trial, was sentenced to death on September 8, 2008.
Under U Thein Sein’s presidency, his sentence was reduced to life imprisonment.
When submitted to the Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing with evidence that he had been an underaged soldier, the sentence was reduced to 10 years. After serving nine years in jail, he was released last July.
He was prosecuted on August 10, eight days after the broadcast of his interview with RFA, in which he detailed being forcibly enlisted in the Tatmadaw.
Aung Ko Htwe was sentenced to two years and six months, and is facing other charges for misbehaving in court and disrespecting the constitution.
Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/tatmadaw-sanctions-47-officers-recruiting-child-soldiers.html
Comments