A Government and NGO sponsored billboard on the road into Yangon about stopping child soldiers joining the army. At the top it says, “What are the choices for the Under 18’s.”
Around the picture on the left it says, “Will you let them attend school.” and on the right, “Will you let them fight the enemy.”
The bottom line says, “If you are not 18 you are not allowed to enter the army. ”
The use of child soldiers remain a controversial issue within both the Burmese Army and the numerous ethnic group militias. There are an estimated 5,000 child soldiers still active in the Burmese Army. The government have said they would demobilise them but progress has been slow.
(See Extended Captions Word document for full details.(
With the support of Act for Peace, The Myanmar Council of Churches (MCC) trains Community Organisers whose mission is to assist their community confront cases of injustice. The Community Organisers act as a base of knowledge and intermediary between the community and relevant organisations dealing with injustice such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), UNICEF, anti-trafficking police, lawyers and government officials.
From 1962 to 2011, a military junta ruled Myanmar, suppressing almost all opposition and exercised absolute power. During those periods, the people suffered human rights abuses, including the forcible relocation of civilians and the widespread use of forced labour, including children. On 1st April 2011, the Burmese Military Regime stepped down for the Democratisation of the country.
Progress has been made in the country but it still has a long way to go before all human rights are restored.