No One's Talking About Grave Violation Of Rights As Children Are Killed For Army Ops In Myanmar
On 5 October, two boys were killed in Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, in crossfire between Myanmar’s military Tatmadaw and the separatist Arakan Army.
Children used as "human shields"
This occurred after the children, as part of a group of 15 local farmers, were alleged to all have been forced to walk in front of a Tatmadaw unit to ensure the path towards a military camp was clear of landmines and to protect the soldiers from potential enemy fire.
AFP
On the way, fighting
broke out between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army, after which the two
boys were found dead with gunshot wounds.
In a statement, the co-chairs of the UN Country Taskforce on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) said, "The use of children for non-combat purposes by armed forces should not be considered as a separate and lesser violation than the formal recruitment of children, and is criminalized in the Myanmar Child Rights Law. This egregious incident serves as a stark reminder that children are put at risk of being killed or injured whenever they are associated with armed forces."
"We are also deeply concerned about the
alarming increase of reports of killings and injuries of children in
Myanmar. More than 100 children were killed or maimed in conflict during
the first three months of 2020, amounting to more than half of the
total number in 2019, and significantly surpassing the total number of
child casualties in 2018."
AFP
The
incident occurred within the 12 months of the delisting of the Tatmadaw
for underage recruitment in the UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on
Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) of 2020, agencies noted.
What are grave violations as per CTFMR?
In its statement, the CTFMR called for a "full, transparent, and expedited investigation of the incident" and for anyone responsible for the use and killing of the children to be held accountable.
AFP
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution
1612 mandates the UN to establish UN-led CTFMRs in countries where
there is verified evidence that grave violations against children are
being committed by parties to a conflict, either by armed forces and/or
by armed groups. The CTFMR establishes documents, verifies and reports
to the UNSC on grave violations against children. The six grave
violations that are monitored and reported are:
- Killing or maiming of children
- Recruitment and use of children in armed forces, groups
- Attacks against schools or hospitals
- Rape or other sexual violence
- Abduction of children
- Denial of humanitarian access for children
Backgrounder
As
per Child Soldiers Global Report 2001, Myanmar is estimated to have one
of the largest numbers of child soldiers of any country in the world,
with up to 50,000 children serving in both government armed forces and
armed opposition groups.
AFP
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