Child soldiers global report 2008: a timely reminder.

Child soldiers–two simple words that describe a world of atrocities committed against children. These children remain hidden from the public attention about their rights and rehabilitation in the mainstream society. Governments have failed to prevent the use of children by proxy forces. On the contrary, some governments continue to recruit under-18 year olds in to national armies exposing them to military discipline, hazardous activity, bullying, abuse and possible deployment to war zones(1). It is the third of the series of reports published by the 'Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers', which was formed in May 1998 by leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to secure their demobilization, and to promote their reintegration into the communities. It documents military recruitment legislation and practice, and child soldier use in hostilities by governments and armed groups across the globe. It also provides information on the treatment of child soldiers captured by government forces and any existing disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programs for child soldiers. The report contains an analytical overview of developments over the last four years and discusses core themes and policy directions(1). The Coalition's research reveals a number of disturbing findings that make it clear that the efforts to date have been insufficient, despite substantial attention and resources having been devoted to child soldiers. Child soldiers continue to be used in armed conflicts by both government and armed groups. Governments are using captured children for intelligence gathering, or detain them rather than supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration. A wide array of armed groups continue to use children as soldiers and they have proved to be resistant to pressure and persuasion to stop the practice. The report examines and explores issues of justice and accountability in relation to child recruiters. It highlights the problems associated with DDR in most countries. Girls in particular continue to be excluded from official programs despite well documented information of their involvement in armed conflict and their need for suitable DDR programs. Many neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the worst affected nations in this region. The situation is particularly serious in Myanmar and Nepal, with Myanmar as the worst offender as far as recruiting children in armed conflict by government forces is concerned(1). In India, no information is available on how many under-18s were serving in the armed forces. The voluntary recruitment age in armed forces is still below 18 …