Child soldiers have become active participants of proxy war and civil wars. We shall be doing a series on Child Soldiers but first we would like you to get a feel of the ground reality. As the first part of the series, here are the voices of child soldiers themselves.
This is a picture of a 13-year-old boy from the Democratic Republic of the Congo named Mwindo(not his real name). Like many thousands of children in war-torn countries around the globe, Mwindo was pressed into becoming a child soldier when he was nothing more than a kid. He was taught to use weapons, was given an Uzi to carry and was expected to fight. During a confrontation with other insurgents, when a man lunged to attack him, Mwindo shot and killed the man. Two of Mwindo’s friends–boys like him–died in that battle, too, and were buried in the forest. All told, Mwindo spent three years in the militia. http://fieldnotes.unicefusa.org/2011/02/child-soldiers-and-red-hand-da.html
“They filled the forms and asked my age, and when I said 16, I was slapped and he said, ‘You are 18. Answer 18’ He asked me again and I said, ‘But that’s my true age’. The sergeant asked, ‘Then why did you enlist in the army?’ I said, ‘Against my will. I was captured.’ He said, ‘Okay, keep your mouth shut then,’ and he filled in the form. I just wanted to go back home and I told them, but they refused. I said, ‘Then please just let me make one phone call,’ but they refused that too.”
–Maung Zaw Oo, describing the second time he was forced into the Tatmadaw Kyi (army) in 2005 (Myanmar/Burma).
“When the armed groups have got recruited children and youth, they then would supah or take an oath. After that, they cannot withdraw. Otherwise, other members would kill them called ‘blood halal’ or killing without guilt, because this is an act of betrayal to religion by ‘munafi’.”
–A religious leader from Pattani interviewed by
the Coalition in 2007 describing the
recruitment of children and youth by armed
separatist groups (Southern Thailand).
“Child soldiers are ideal because they don’t
complain, they don’t expect to be paid, and if
you tell them to kill, they kill.”
–Senior officer in the Chadian National Army
(ANT).
“We saw our children on the top floor of [Karuna’s political party] office. We were three mothers of children taken from here. The children signalled to us that we should go or they would get hit.”–Mother of a child abducted by the Karuna Group, October 2006 (Sri Lanka)
“I feel pain from the rape, as if I have wounds inside, and I am afraid to have a disease. I would like to get tested but there is nobody to help me. I was tested in the reception centre in Gulu, but I was never told the result. The doctor said that it is better not to know the result.”–Girl age 17, previously abducted by the LRA (Uganda).
“There is a big difference to the time before I
was abducted, especially regarding my health.
I used to be able to work hard in the garden
but now I’m no longer strong and work looks
so heavy for me. I can’t perform better yet I
have to work hard to earn a living. I really feel
weak and sickly, especially in my back and
chest.”
–Male age 18, previously abducted by the LRA
(Uganda).
“Other children insult me and when I try to
fight them they run to the teacher’s office. The
teacher says ‘If your head is confused because
you were abducted, don’t come and disturb
others.’ Then the teacher beat me up. I went
back with my parents and now it’s a bit
better.”
–Boy, 14, formerly abducted by the LRA
(Uganda)
“They [the army] took us to the barracks. They
beat us both with their guns and boots. After
15 days my friend died from the beatings. They
beat me repeatedly. Once I was beaten
unconscious and taken to the hospital. When I
regained consciousness I was taken back to
the barracks and beaten again. I nearly died. I
don’t know why they beat me.”
–Ram, recruited in 2004 by the Maoists when
he was 14 years old describes his capture by
the Royal Nepal Army one year late (Nepal)
“I was captured by one of the RUF
(Revolutionary United Front) commanders and
after 2 years with his wife, I managed to cross
into Liberia, losing contact with my
commander. I later returned with the intention
of disarming with him, but when disarmament
started, my commander refused to disarm with
me because I failed to marry him. He gave my
gun to another girl who agreed to marry him.”
–17 year old girl (Sierra Leone).
“I heard about disarmament from my friends. I
couldn’t disarm though because I didn’t have
any ammunition. I have friends that were able
to disarm.”
–Anne, aged 13 who was with government
troops for eight months washing clothes,
cooking and carrying rice (Liberia)
The plight does not stop and these are just a few accounts. It is estimated that there are over 250,000 child soldiers all over the world. That means 250,000 stories.
ToungTwisted 