BRIEF: UN Urged to Free Child Soldiers

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations released a report on Friday urging Myanmar to "release its child soldiers, stop recruiting youths under 18 in its army and allow U.N. officials access to remote areas where armed groups also use child soldiers."

Myanmar's military government said it has strengthened regulations forbidding the recruitment of minors since a report released by Human Rights Watch. Despite an official prohibition of the practice, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said there are credible reports that Myanmar's army continues to recruit children under 18. Poor children are often lured into the army with promises of food and shelter. Other children are picked up for not having identification cards and threatened with arrest unless they join the army.

Mr. Ban said "the government has shown increasing interest in addressing underage recruitment and has engaged the United Nations on the issue," but the U.N. has not been able to verify government claims that recruiters and others responsible for underage recruitment have been disciplined or that children have been released.

For more information, please see:

Reuters - U.N. urges Myanmar to stop using child soldiers - 23 November 2007

AP - UN: Myanmar Must Free All Child Soldiers - 23 November 2007