06 March 2003
Text: Senator McConnell Condemns Burma's Use of Child Soldiers
(Senator cites Rangoon's "gross abuse of human rights") (840)
Senator Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky), the second most
powerful Republican in the Senate, condemned Burma's military junta
for using child soldiers to commit atrocities against ethnic
minorities.
McConnell, who is the chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, said in remarks to the Senate
March 4 that Rangoon's military rulers maintain power through the
"gratuitous use of military force against ethnic minorities and
political dissidents."
He added that the evidence "is overwhelming that the junta exploits
children as young as 11 years old in pursuit of greater coercive
military power."
The Kentucky Republican cited Human Rights Watch reports that Burma's
army of 350,000 "includes nearly 70,000 boys under the age of 18."
These child soldiers, he added, after brutal training, "are then
forced into combat, often against domestic Karenni and Shan
minorities."
McConnell charged that as part of "ethnic cleansing and intimidation
campaigns the Burmese junta has conducted against these ethnic
minorities for decades, these children soldiers are often encouraged
to torture, rape, and kill innocent villagers."
Following is the text of Senator Mitch McConnell's September 4 remarks
from the Congressional Record:
(begin text)
THE BURMESE JUNTA'S PERSISTENT USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS
Senate
March 04, 2003
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, Reports of widespread use of child
soldiers, forced labor, and human rights abuse come as no surprise to
anyone with even casual knowledge of recent Burmese history.
Tragically, these recent reports are not ``news,'' but rather business
as usual in one of the world's most repressive countries.
While the corrupt military junta has recently been conducting a
propagandistic offensive to convince naive Western diplomats that
Burma can be a responsible member of the international community, the
continual flow of evidence regarding Burma's gross abuses of human
rights illustrates how hollow recent Burmese ``reform'' has been.
Anyone duped into believing that the junta's decision to loosen the
shackles that bind Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader
of Burma who has spent nearly a decade under house arrest, represents
a liberalization of the junta should think again. Proof that the
Burmese junta continues its repression of democracy came yesterday
when the Defense Ministry announced that it had detained seven members
of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy Party, NLDP,
members. Their treasonous crime appears to be distributing
anti-government leaflets.
The Burmese junta maintains power through its gratuitous use of
military force against ethnic minorities and political dissidents.
Now, the evidence is overwhelming that the junta exploits children as
young as 11 years old in pursuit of greater coercive military power.
Human Rights Watch reports that Burma's army of 350,000 includes
nearly 70,000 boys under the age of 18.
If these children are fortunate enough to survive the physical and
emotional abuse heaped on them by their military superiors during
their ``training,'' they are then forced into combat, often against
domestic Karenni and Shan minorities. As part of the ethnic cleansing
and intimidation campaigns the Burmese junta has conducted against
these ethnic minorities for decades, these children soldiers are often
encouraged to torture, rape, and kill innocent villagers. In one
instance, Burmese military commanders ordered some of these child
soldiers to force Karenni villagers to clear a minefield by walking
through it. The children were subsequently ordered to shoot villagers
who refused to walk through the minefield.
Recently, the Burmese junta has sought to improve its standing in the
international community by touting its supposedly more intense efforts
to curb the production and trafficking of heroin. Mr. President, this
claim is laughable. American State Department officials should not be
deluded into believing that Burma has become a partner in the war
against drugs. Burmese child defectors from the army who now live in
refugee camps in Thailand have corroborated reports that the Burmese
military has fueled its soldiers by making them take amphetamines,
washed down with whiskey, before going into combat. Countries that
force drugged children into deadly combat should not be considered
allies by the United States in any war.
In response to Human Rights Watch's report, a Burmese military
spokesman denied that Burma ``recruits'' underage soldiers and
incredulously asserted that Burma's military is an all-volunteer army.
Such brazen lies should convince no one that the Burmese government
has changed its repressive ways.
If Than Swe, as head of the Burmese government, is committed to
upholding international standards of human rights, it can begin by
enacting meaningful and verifiable economic, political, and judicial
reforms. It should release the seven NLDP members it has unjustly
arrested and all other political prisoners, and it should allow Aung
San Suu Kyi to meet and communicate freely with Burmese citizens
throughout the country, as well as with international representatives.
Until the Burmese junta agrees to hold free and fair elections to
allow the Burmese people the opportunity to choose their own leaders,
it must be aware that American sanctions will continue.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
