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Mizzima: Burmese Child Soldiers



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                         Burmese Child Soldiers

Winnipeg (Canada), February 9, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

By Kanbawza Win:

        The surrender of the twin brothers Johnny and Luther Htu to the
Thai security forces ended the mystical group of Burmese freedom
fighters that have captured the world?s attention. These Christian child
warriors belonging to the Karen ethnic group and still not yet in their
teens, have fascinated the world?s media for more than two years for
their exploits against the formidable Burmese Army. However, they gain
prominence when they successfully raided the Burmese embassy in Bangkok
in cooperation with the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors (VBSW).
 Founded on March 3rd 1997 at Hta Ma Pyo village in the Thai-Burma
border area, this ?God?s Army? belongs to a deeply religious Karen
Christian group that has been living there since the persecution
started. The children were barely 7 or 8 years old when they witnessed
with their own eyes the unspeakable atrocities committed by the Burmese
soldiers on their nearest kith and kin. The local people claimed that
the two brothers saw a vision in which they were asked to fight, which
was the embryo of a fighting force named it as ?God?s Army?.
 At its height it had 200 fighters and from the start it became a
formidable force because of its dedication, remarkable endurance and
battlefield tactics. Its fame spread fear among the Burmese soldiers.
Together with the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, it orchestrated the
raid on the Junta?s embassy in Bangkok, which embarrassed both the Thai
and the Burmese governments. ?God?s Army?s? fame spread far and wide and
soon financial support from overseas come in. This was in fact the
beginning of their downfall. Not only the squabbling over the resources
but also instead it of concentrating on the Burmese army it turned its
attention to Thailand. These were its mistakes and it suffered a set
back when both the Burmese and Thai army launched a joint operation.
 Now all the members of ?God?s Army? have either surrendered to the Thai
security or some have rejoined back their old KNU comrades.
In a way they demonstrated the plight of child soldiers in Burma, where
both the Burmese army and the opposition ethnic forces use thousands of
child soldiers, a fact that the outside world knows little of. The very
fact that this so called ?God?s Army? chose to surrender to the Thai
security forces rather than the Burmese army painted the picture that
these children do not expect any mercy from the marauding Burmese army.
 The deeper truth is that the boys were driven to their desperate acts
by the unrelenting pressure of constant military bombardment by both the
Burmese and Thai army. The latter often co-operated in fighting the
Burmese pro-democracy forces and ethnic freedom fighters. But the fall
of ?God?s Army? does not mean that a much wider ethnic forces and the
pro-democratic forces have collapsed. Still there are thousand of ethnic
Karen, Karenni, Shan, Chin, Arakanese and Burmese students battling
Rangoon for democracy, autonomy and self-determination. Tens of
thousands of these people have fled to the border areas of Thailand,
India, Bangladesh and some even to Laos and China to escape the scorched
earth policy of the Burmese army.
 How come, these children reached such heights?  It is just a symptom of
the Burmese system. Rural children in Burma become soldiers simply to
survive. In war ravaged parts inhabited by ethnic groups where schools
have been closed, fields destroyed and relatives arrested or killed, a
gun is a meal ticket and a more attractive alternative to sitting home
alone and afraid. Gone are the days when war was fought in the
battlefields by opposing forces. The conflict in war-torn Burma is
fought at home, in the lanes of villages and suburbs, where distinctions
between combatant and non-combatant are not distinguished. These
conflicts kill and maim more children than adults. Burmese children
today find themselves caught up in complex and confusing conflicts that
have multiple causes and lack clear prospects for resolution. Children
are being simply sucked into seemingly endless endemic struggles for
power and resources.
 But this situation is not only confined to Burma where the tyrannical
Junta rules with a harsh iron hand, but also in most of the conflict
areas of the Third World countries. The impact of the conflict on
children has been devastating. Millions have been killed as deliberate
targets of warfare and drawn in as fighters. And millions more have
fallen victims to malnutrition, disease, sexual violence and the
depredations of forced flight and forced labour.
 In Burma an attempt to highlight the pitiable case of children
mistreated by the soldiers was arrested and its principles persecuted.
One classic case is that in the Second Women Conference held in Rangoon
on 25thand 26th Jan.2001, Daw Mya Kyu, a teacher from Phyu township who
endeavored to highlight the case of a nine-year old girl who was raped
and killed by the Burmese soldiers, was stopped and arrested. This
clearly indicates that people are threatened, even those who dare to
speak the truth, not to mention remedying laws on the improvement of the
situation of war children. This is but one of the thousands of stories
of the fate of Burmese children.
         In Thailand at the surrender ceremony of the two Burmese
warrior-children Johnny and Luther Htu, the outgoing Thai Prime Minister
Chuan Leekpai flew to the border police post and touched their hands
smiling. We do hope that these two children will not be killed after
they have surrendered as the Thai army did to their comrades at the
Ratchaburi  hospital fiasco. It is high time that the Southeast Asian
Buddhist nations  showed some clemency and forgiveness.
 The Winnipeg International Conference on War Affected Children (Sept.
10th-17th.  2000)  drew plans for these War Affected Children. More than
176 government representatives attended;  Laos and Cambodia sent their
North American  ambassadors, while Thailand sent its Foreign Minister
Surin Pitsuwan yet, conspicuously the Burmese ambassador was absent.
What hopes and dreams do we harbor for these War Affected Children of
Burma even as the United Nations has earmarked this the year of the War
Child. In September this year the stock-taking of these War Affected
Children will be done and even though, as an Asian NGO representative
I?ll be reporting, I am very sad to say that I can report only the
worsening situation of these children in Burma.

________________________________________________________________________

Kanbawza Win is one of the six NGO representatives to submit the report
in to the United Nations in September.
________________________________________________________________________



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<center><b><font color="#0000FF"><font size=+3>Burmese Child Soldiers</font></font></b></center>

<p><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>Winnipeg (Canada), February 9, 2001</font></font>
<br><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group (<a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>www.mizzima.com</a>)</font></font>
<p><font size=+1>By <b><font color="#400000">Kanbawza Win:</font></b></font>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <font size=+1>The surrender
of the twin brothers Johnny and Luther Htu to the Thai security forces
ended the mystical group of Burmese freedom fighters that have captured
the world?s attention. These Christian child warriors belonging to the
Karen ethnic group and still not yet in their teens, have fascinated the
world?s media for more than two years for their exploits against the formidable
Burmese Army. However, they gain prominence when they successfully raided
the Burmese embassy in Bangkok in cooperation with the Vigorous Burmese
Student Warriors (VBSW).</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;Founded on March 3rd 1997 at Hta Ma Pyo village
in the Thai-Burma border area, this ?God?s Army? belongs to a deeply religious
Karen Christian group that has been living there since the persecution
started. The children were barely 7 or 8 years old when they witnessed
with their own eyes the unspeakable atrocities committed by the Burmese
soldiers on their nearest kith and kin. The local people claimed that the
two brothers saw a vision in which they were asked to fight, which was
the embryo of a fighting force named it as ?God?s Army?.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;At its height it had 200 fighters and from the
start it became a formidable force because of its dedication, remarkable
endurance and battlefield tactics. Its fame spread fear among the Burmese
soldiers. Together with the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, it orchestrated
the raid on the Junta?s embassy in Bangkok, which embarrassed both the
Thai and the Burmese governments. ?God?s Army?s? fame spread far and wide
and soon financial support from overseas come in. This was in fact the
beginning of their downfall. Not only the squabbling over the resources
but also instead it of concentrating on the Burmese army it turned its
attention to Thailand. These were its mistakes and it suffered a set back
when both the Burmese and Thai army launched a joint operation.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;Now all the members of ?God?s Army? have either
surrendered to the Thai security or some have rejoined back their old KNU
comrades.</font>
<br><font size=+1>In a way they demonstrated the plight of child soldiers
in Burma, where both the Burmese army and the opposition ethnic forces
use thousands of child soldiers, a fact that the outside world knows little
of. The very fact that this so called ?God?s Army? chose to surrender to
the Thai security forces rather than the Burmese army painted the picture
that these children do not expect any mercy from the marauding Burmese
army.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;The deeper truth is that the boys were driven to
their desperate acts by the unrelenting pressure of constant military bombardment
by both the Burmese and Thai army. The latter often co-operated in fighting
the Burmese pro-democracy forces and ethnic freedom fighters. But the fall
of ?God?s Army? does not mean that a much wider ethnic forces and the pro-democratic
forces have collapsed. Still there are thousand of ethnic Karen, Karenni,
Shan, Chin, Arakanese and Burmese students battling Rangoon for democracy,
autonomy and self-determination. Tens of thousands of these people have
fled to the border areas of Thailand, India, Bangladesh and some even to
Laos and China to escape the scorched earth policy of the Burmese army.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;How come, these children reached such heights?&nbsp;
It is just a symptom of the Burmese system. Rural children in Burma become
soldiers simply to survive. In war ravaged parts inhabited by ethnic groups
where schools have been closed, fields destroyed and relatives arrested
or killed, a gun is a meal ticket and a more attractive alternative to
sitting home alone and afraid. Gone are the days when war was fought in
the battlefields by opposing forces. The conflict in war-torn Burma is
fought at home, in the lanes of villages and suburbs, where distinctions
between combatant and non-combatant are not distinguished. These conflicts
kill and maim more children than adults. Burmese children today find themselves
caught up in complex and confusing conflicts that have multiple causes
and lack clear prospects for resolution. Children are being simply sucked
into seemingly endless endemic struggles for power and resources.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;But this situation is not only confined to Burma
where the tyrannical Junta rules with a harsh iron hand, but also in most
of the conflict areas of the Third World countries. The impact of the conflict
on children has been devastating. Millions have been killed as deliberate
targets of warfare and drawn in as fighters. And millions more have fallen
victims to malnutrition, disease, sexual violence and the depredations
of forced flight and forced labour.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;In Burma an attempt to highlight the pitiable case
of children mistreated by the soldiers was arrested and its principles
persecuted. One classic case is that in the Second Women Conference held
in Rangoon on 25thand 26th Jan.2001, Daw Mya Kyu, a teacher from Phyu township
who endeavored to highlight the case of a nine-year old girl who was raped
and killed by the Burmese soldiers, was stopped and arrested. This clearly
indicates that people are threatened, even those who dare to speak the
truth, not to mention remedying laws on the improvement of the situation
of war children. This is but one of the thousands of stories of the fate
of Burmese children.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In Thailand
at the surrender ceremony of the two Burmese warrior-children Johnny and
Luther Htu, the outgoing Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai flew to the
border police post and touched their hands smiling. We do hope that these
two children will not be killed after they have surrendered as the Thai
army did to their comrades at the Ratchaburi&nbsp; hospital fiasco. It
is high time that the Southeast Asian Buddhist nations&nbsp; showed some
clemency and forgiveness.</font>
<br><font size=+1>&nbsp;The Winnipeg International Conference on War Affected
Children (Sept. 10th-17th.&nbsp; 2000)&nbsp; drew plans for these War Affected
Children. More than 176 government representatives attended;&nbsp; Laos
and Cambodia sent their North American&nbsp; ambassadors, while Thailand
sent its Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan yet, conspicuously the Burmese
ambassador was absent. What hopes and dreams do we harbor for these War
Affected Children of Burma even as the United Nations has earmarked this
the year of the War Child. In September this year the stock-taking of these
War Affected Children will be done and even though, as an Asian NGO representative
I?ll be reporting, I am very sad to say that I can report only the worsening
situation of these children in Burma.</font>
<p>________________________________________________________________________
<br><b><font color="#993366">Kanbawza Win is one of the six NGO representatives
to submit the report in to the United Nations in September.</font></b>
<br>________________________________________________________________________
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