Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yangon (Agenzia Fides) – The children are the first victims of the civil conflict taking place between members of the national army, led by the military regime that governs the country, and members of guerrilla groups formed by ethnic minorities oppressed by the regime. This is what a detailed report entitled “No More Denial” claims. The report was recently published by the non-governmental group “Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict.” The report has been issued at the one-year anniversary of the passing of Cyclone Nargis, which placed the country in the international spotlight.
Watchlist made an extensive analysis in various poorer areas of Myanmar, especially among the ethnic minorities who oppose the national army. The report documents hundreds of cases of children who have been killed, raped, exploited, and forced to live as refugees. There is also the tragic case of the child-soldiers, which Myanmar unfortunately stands as the nation with the largest percentage worldwide, while the majority of children are denied access to education, medical attention, and humanitarian aid. “The international community has the duty to intervene and cannot remain silent in the face of these violations,” the document said.
Those responsible include government forces and guerrilla groups. The children are exploited in the conflicts, in forced labor, in preparing field mines, while the schools are turned into military buildings.
Given the situation, the infant mortality rate is extremely high. One out of every five children dies before he reaches the age of five, the report says, showing that this rate is second only to areas of the worst conflicts on the planet, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Furthermore, 700,000 children are still in need of long-term assistance in the areas struck by Cyclone Nargis, where living conditions have not returned to normal yet. Watchlist is calling on the United Nations to place pressures on Myanmar's government to protect children and allow non-government organizations to work on reconstruction, assistance, and schooling for the exploited children. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2009)
