InfoAnda - Myanmar troops seize vulnerable boys for tough army life

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Countries release text of anti-counterfeiting pact | | 6 October 2010
Fitting the Bills: versatile Brad Smith wears many hats for Buffalo | 14 September 2011
Attack kills 7 in China's restive Xinjiang | 19 August 2010

Demise of PA plan for low-income adults leaves many uninsured | 27 September 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Myanmar troops seize vulnerable boys for tough army life

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Myanmar troops seize vulnerable boys for tough army life AFP - 1 hour 8 minutes ago Send IM Story Print Myanmar troops seize vulnerable boys for tough army life MAE SOT, Thailand (AFP) - – The spiky-haired teenager said he clearly recalls the day when Myanmar state troops whisked him from the streets of Mandalay, accused him of stealing and forced him to become a child soldier. "They said if you don't want to go to jail, you must join the army. I said I didn't want to join but whenever I said it they beat me again and again. When I agreed to join they stopped beating me," Win Sein told AFP. He said he was homeless and aged about 15 -- although he doesn't know his birthday -- when he was recruited less than two years ago, joining thousands of under-18s believed to be in Myanmar's state army and ethnic armed groups. After four months of boot camp, involving a gruelling fitness regime, weapons training and corporal punishment, the youngster said he was sent to the frontline of civil war against ethnic rebels in remote jungle regions. A year later, Win Sein fled his post and eventually escaped from the military-ruled country, arriving in the Thai border town Mae Sot in March. "The main reason was not the fighting, but because the sergeants were really, really brutal. They always insulted and beat the child soldiers," he said. "So I decided to run away, whatever happened to me." While it is difficult to verify former child soldiers' backgrounds, Myanmar analyst David Mathieson of Human Rights Watch said Win Sein's story was "sadly typical, in terms of training times, locations and the workload". Win Sein, whose name AFP has changed to protect him and his family, is now in the care of Mae Sot-based aid group Social Action for Women (SAW), where he was initially reluctant to discuss his harrowing experience. "After he arrived, he would lose control. He broke bottles and used the glass to cut his arm," said SAW's director Aye Aye Mar. "He didn't talk. He didn't answer any questions we asked. He didn't trust anyone." Such psychological damage is typical in youngsters who have spent time in the army, added the director, who has looked after around 20 former child soldiers from Myanmar. Win Sein said the children at his boot camp were forced to tell the lieutenant they had signed up voluntarily, and "because they were afraid of the sergeants who recruited them, they lied about their age". Such underage enlistment, which is banned by law in Myanmar, is a result of regimental efforts to keep numbers up in the vast army rather than a central junta directive, according to Mathieson of Human Rights Watch. "It's basically free market recruitment," he said. "It's certainly not official -- there's no paper trail saying it's coming from the war office in (the capital city) Naypyidaw." Mathieson said there are likely to be thousands of child soldiers in the state military, which is thought to be up to 400,000 strong. And the problem is not confined to the official force in Myanmar, a nation ruled by the military since 1962 and embroiled in civil war in ethnic minority areas since gaining independence in 1948. A United Nations report released in May named nine of the country's ethnic armed groups, as well as the government army, for recruiting and using children in conflict, noting "extremely limited access" to monitor such forces. Win Sein, who before his recruitment had run away from home to escape abuse by his step-father, said street children were a particularly easy target for state troops who get paid or rewarded for filling military personnel quotas. He said he met numerous fellow child soldiers with a similarly penurious background to his own. "Soldiers dressed in plain clothes go to children who live on the street and say, 'Hey little brother, do you want a snack? I will get you one'. "These street children are hungry and have no food, so they are happy someone is buying something for them and they follow the men," Win Sein said. Steve Marshall, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) liaison officer in Myanmar, agreed the children preyed upon "tend to be those in a vulnerable situation", such as boys on their own at railway stations and markets. He said the youngest boy known to be signed up was aged just 11. With the junta's agreement, the ILO has a process for families to complain about underage recruitment cases, which if verified are submitted to the government to get the children released and their recruiters disciplined. Since 2007 more than 100 victims have been discharged and numerous army personnel reprimanded for their part in such cases, including three who were jailed, and there has been training by the military to raise awareness of recruitment law. But "there is no firm evidence suggesting that the situation has markedly improved," Marshall said. The youngsters roped into battle can face destroyed childhoods, uncertain futures and -- for deserters such as Win Sein -- a lingering fear of retribution. "I would like to see my mother and sister again but I dare not contact them because I don't want to get them in trouble," he said. "I also don't want them to know what I have been through." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Japan PM faces deadlock after poll rout AFP - 15 minutes ago China to get first 100 million-population province Reuters - 26 minutes ago India launches five satellites into orbit AFP - 35 minutes ago Australian PM may call election within days Reuters - 47 minutes ago S.Korea says location of war games undecided AFP - 56 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Fiesta in Spain, agony in Netherlands after World Cup final European banks mull 20-bln-euro private bailout fund Football: Casillas true hero as Iniesta steals headlines Spain win seals perfect eight for 'psychic' octopus Spain, Holland go to extra-time in World Cup final More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended European probe Rosetta flies by asteroid: ESA Bahamas police capture 'Barefoot Bandit' Spain win seals perfect eight for 'psychic' octopus Football: Casillas true hero as Iniesta steals headlines Remote Easter Island braces for total solar eclipse More Most Viewed » Reclusive top mathematician turns down prize, again Germany's 'Octopus oracle' keeps perfect record Aussie men shoot each other in buttocks 'to see if it hurts' Amputee cat gets bionic legs Fans gather for Michael Jackson death anniversary More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Monday, 12 July 2010
Darfur violence kills 221 in June
Government inspectors ease scandal over French minister
20 kilos of 20 pct enriched uranium ready: Iran
All children of Russian spies repatriated
Iran halts woman's stoning 'for now'
Senior Palestinian calls Jerusalem a time bomb |
"Irrational" Iran can't get nuclear arms
Guatemala nabs cocaine-stuffed submarine in Pacific |
Iraqi court seeks arrest of Iranian exiles
Sarkozy's party loses by-election amid scandal |
Attacks kill 11 Afghan police, official in north
Darfur violence kills 221 in June: peacekeepers |
Japan ruling party reels after vote
Japan ruling party handed big defeat over tax plan
Japan ruling party loses on tax talk: exit polls
China confirms it renewed Google operating license
Total solar eclipse arcs its way across Pacific
Soldiers take over where Afghan gov't fears to go
Soccer City erupts in light for World Cup closer
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
"Despicable Me" leads North American box office
Despicable Me leads North American box office |
Angelina Jolie defends daughter Shiloh's style |
Iran spares woman from stoning for now
Russians risk jail in 'forbidden art' trial
Removal of Taliban leaders from terror list sought
Uganda bombings kill 64 as World Cup fans targeted |
Russian spy's call to father triggered arrests
The World's Most Expensive Bicycles
NATO soldier, 11 police killed in Afghan attacks
Fiesta in Spain, agony in Netherlands after World Cup final
Karzai to ask U.N. to trim Taliban blacklist: report |
Nine Technologies To Ease Pain Of Getting Old
Senior Palestinian calls Jerusalem a "time bomb"
Brother angered by death of British fugitive
Israel failed in ship interception planning: reports |
Celebrities: Macs Vs. PCs
Spain win seals perfect eight for 'psychic' octopus
6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Chile |
US-TECH Summary
Attacks kill 11 Afghan police, official in north
Government inspectors ease scandal over French minister
Electronic voting no threat yet to the old style ballot box
Three Northern Irish police shot in overnight riots |
European banks mull 20-bln-euro private bailout fund
Football: Casillas true hero as Iniesta steals headlines
Afghan government seeking bigger slice of aid pie |
Japan faces policy gridlock as ruling party reels |
Betancourt accuses Colombia of failing to protect her |
Australian PM may call election within days: media |
Spain, Holland go to extra-time in World Cup final
China to start draining dam that threatens city |
Bahamas police capture 'Barefoot Bandit'
S.Korea says location of war games undecided
Bahamas police capture 'Barefoot Bandit'
Myanmar troops seize vulnerable boys for tough army life
New Zealand PM sees pacts boosting Vietnam trade
Japan PM faces deadlock after poll rout
Australia PM drops election hint, leads in polls
Lawsuit against Apple, AT&T can remain as class action: report |
Old style ballot box facing electronic poll threat
Celebrities: Macs Vs. PCs
Beijing steps up English-language drive
India's industrial output jumps 11.5 percent
Running with Pamplona's bulls, 'a high that lasts all year'
"Eclipse" still has bite at foreign box office
Australian PM may call election within days
Taiwan's CPC to set up oil shipping venture
Mel Gibson ouster more about money than morals
Anti-whaling protester: 'ugly war' will cost lives
Asia must brace for possible economic shocks: IMF
Louisiana prays for oil to finally get capped
Seoul shares rise on airlines, battery makers
Lopez faces 40 million lawsuit over Cyprus cancellation
Taiwan's Evergreen buys 10 vessels from CSBC
South Korea c.bank sells 91-day MSBs at 2.37 pct
'Despicable Me' tops ticket sales at Americas box office
Korea Hot Stocks
Renault's S.Korea unit to recall 59,000 vehicles
Yen falls after Japan ruling party suffers setback
PetroChina open to closer ties with BP
Eclipse still has bite at foreign box office |
The filmmaker who became a legal spy |
Mel Gibson ouster more about money than morals |
Spain says awaiting 11 freed Cuban dissidents
Facebook installs 'panic button' for children
North Korea and U.N. officers to meet over ship sinking |
Riots in N.Ireland see 27 officers hurt
Facebook launches child safety application
Three jailed 20 years in foiled UK airliner bomb plot |
Polanski free after Swiss reject extradition
Afghanistan frees more suspected Taliban |
ICC issues arrest warrant for genocide against Bashir |
S.Africa urged to build on World Cup success
Fidel Castro to appear on Cuban television and radio |
Champions Spain back home, Blatter praises .SAfrica
Strong Russian remarks on Iran please Washington |
Stargazers in awe as total eclipse arcs across Pacific
Bahamas police capture 'Barefoot Bandit'
Canadian Guantanamo inmate turns down US plea deal
Timor parliament rejects Australian refugee plan
Tiger countries meet in Indonesia to map rescue
North Korea to meet U.N. officers over ship sinking
Microsoft CEO touts new Windows tablets vs iPad |
Facebook launches child safety application |
China to get first 100 million-population province
Roman Polanski freed as Swiss deny extradition
India launches five satellites into orbit
Pakistani rupee at record low; stocks flat
Experts fined in Russian art trial
Honda's China sales down 2.7 percent in June
Court fines organisers of Moscow exhibition
Jennifer Lopez faces $40 mln lawsuit over gig cancellation
S&P warns policy gridlock could hit Japan rating
Russia court finds 'Forbidden Art' organisers guilty
S.Korea rate rise vote was not unanimous
Taiwan Formosa to determine naphtha unit downtime by next week
S.Korea to invest $2 bln in carbon capture to 2019
China tycoon bids to be Prada's biggest shareholder
Pakistan June inflation up 12.69 pct yr/yr
Seoul shares rise on airlines, battery makers
Roman Polanski freed as Swiss deny extradition |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01