By NNN-Mizzima,
Yangon : Forty-two more child soldiers in the Myanmar military were released from the armed forces on Monday, in a campaign to end recruitment of under-age children, local media reported.
The latest release came after an agreement was signed between the government and the United Nations in late June on prevention of further recruitment and use of children underage in the armed forces.
Some 201 military officers were reprimanded for recruiting not in line with army’s rules and regulations, the sources said.
The defense ministry said that from 2004 to July 2012, 600 child soldiers had been released from the army and reintegrated with their families.
Myanmar has made efforts and worked to ensure not to recruit minors for military service, promising continuous supervision over the personnel concerned to ensure that they do not accept minors, and working according to the law, rules and regulations and directives, according to observers.
Myanmar has maintained that there are very few cases of recruiting minors for military service in the armed forces, saying that all new members must reach the age of 18, denying some foreign media allegations that the Burmese armed forces has child soldiers and uses them in forward areas.
The country formed a Committee for Prevention against Recruiting Minors into Army in Jan 2.