A British rights group has criticized the UN’s agency for children as “irresponsible” for its public praise of Myanmar’s military following the release of 51 child soldiers on June 4.
Mr Mark Farmaner of Burma Campaign UK said, “It is astonishing and irresponsible for UNICEF to continue to praise the military for releasing child soldiers when they are violating a recent agreement with UNICEF to stop recruitment and use of child soldiers.”
The military has released hundreds of child soldiers in recent years, yet the practice of recruiting and using children has continued, according to the NGO.
Mr Farmaner spoke out after the release of 51 recruits and UNICEF’s praise on June 4. UNICEF’s Bertrand Bainvel lauded the Myanmar government’s “commitment to ensuring its children are protected and have access to basic rights.”
UNICEF has been working alongside Myanmar’s government, which replaced the military junta in 2011 and began sweeping political reforms, to secure the release of people who were recruited, often forcibly, by the military as children.
A total of 646 have been discharged since 2012, when Myanmar signed a joint action plan with the UN. All of them were under the age of 18 when the agreement was signed. It is unclear how many children continue to serve in Myanmar’s armed services.