Jaloon Htaw : The Burmese regime has begun a campaign to specifically raise youth recruitment within the Burmese army. Advertisements promise technology training for new recruits; life skills; and better job, salary, and placement opportunities for those who complete their service.
That advertisement for army recruitment specifically requests youth from 16 to 19 years old who “want to get a computer diploma, [a rank of] Sergeant and a clerical staff [administrative position] in only two years. New soldiers will get a salary [of] about 35,000 kyat…and will get 36,000 kyat after finishing infantry battalion… training. [Recruits] will get sergeant [rank] and a clerical staff [administrative position] after passing the training”.
A former student from the Burmese army Defense Service Medical Academy (DSMA), this recruitment campaign is specially aiming to gather youths to bolster the army’s strength in numbers.
“The regime knows youth now-a-days are interested in computers. That’s why they [include] this attraction [in recruitment],” explained Nai Aue Mon, coordinator for the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM). “That effort is also the same with Defense Services Academy [DSA]. But this [advertising] related with computers is the first time. More youths would be interested in it. They don’t need to spend money. The parents who could not send their children to University will be pleased [with this campaign] because their children will get positions after finished two years of training. [however] they do not know the follow up issues.”
Posted in the government newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, the advertisement highlights that a youth of any academic standing can join, and that all recruits will be assured non-combat positions.
The recruitment notices also advertise that after completing 2 years training, recruits will serve in the military for 6 years. While the DSA program available after runs 4 years, the notice highlights that an a applicant could quickly work in the service of Burmese embassies abroad by being appointed a military attaché position.
“At the beginning of the …army training [soldiers] will train them the in fighting, organizing, marching, defense, and withdrawal methods, in the first three months. And they will have to make continual vows [to sever] the army and [uphold its tenants],” recounted one former DSMA student. “The army will mold them [into] any style they [the army] want. The parents of the trainees don’t dare to oppose the Burmese regime. The regime also [keeps tabs] on them. They [the recruit] will get punished by the army if they would like to leave the army when they don’t want to serve [anymore]. I also attend DSMA because I did not know…that [would happen].”
While the training, pressure and threats are standard, the open effort to entice underage youth to enlist is unusual, according to HURFOM. International law recognizes as a child soldier as someone who is recruited under age 18 into an army.
According to Nai Aue Mon, many of these child Burmese soldiers end up trying to run away from their battalions to the neighboring country of Thailand, but new trainees just end up being substituted into those positions.
However, according to Aung Myo Min from the Human Right Education Institute of Burma [HERIB], the actual practice of recruiting children is normal.
“Even they [start] teaching [recruits] as observers, not teaching with arms in two years, later they have to [actively] serve in the army,” said Aung Myo Min. “[The Burmese army] is collect child soldiers under the age 18, if compared with international [standards]”.
