Myanmar strives to end child soldiers

YANGON - Myanmar has released 67 children who were recruited and used in military service.

Under a joint plan with the United Nations to end and prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers, 877 such children have been released since the plan was signed in 2012.

The move also underlined the importance of protecting children in armed conflicts and within the peace process, an official statement said.

The freed children are set to benefit from social-economic reintegration programs, including access to education, vocational training and income generating activities, to restart their lives.

Hailing Myanmar's move, the United Nations Children's Fund said the UN Country Task Force would continue to work in partnership with the government to completely end the involvement of under-aged children in armed conflicts.

Myanmar's Ministry of Education has also been making efforts to ensure that the released children can start school without delay.

The Myanmar military has made a high-level review of its joint action plan, acknowledging progress made so far and defining essential remaining steps particularly to strengthen oversight at all the stages of the recruitment process in order to prevent under-aged recruitment.

Xinhua

(China Daily 06/26/2017 page11)