The recent incidents of disappearance of children once again bring to focus, the issue of child recruitment in the state. In recent times, recruitment of children in the ranks of insurgent groups had come down due to public pressure against such episodes. Several children were released after massive protests in the valley. Yet, the issue has once again raised its ugly head, which has again led to protests from various student bodies and civil society organizations. Subsequently, three children from Sairem Khun of Imphal West and a Don Bosco student were released after disappearing for several days. One thing is certain, groups wherever they are ultimately bent to public pressure. But, we should not remain silent over these happenings and a widespread debate has become the need of the hour. The three children from Sairem Khun were allegedly recruited through a relative of one of the boys and subsequently released at Moreh. This speaks volumes. More recently, Rahul Takhellambam of Don Bosco School Chingmeirong showed up near Chandel Bazar in delirious condition. There were reports of a KCP faction demanding a ransom of Rs 3 lakhs to Don Bosco authorities, according to frontline student organizations. Meanwhile, a few insurgent organizations have denied their involvement in cases of child recruitment. Yet, a pro-active action on the part of insurgent organizations to stop incidence of child recruitment is yet to be seen. Here, we have to remember that, we always seem to neglect the involvement of the state with regard to recruitment of child soldiers. According to the Child soldiers Global Report 2008, the number of governments that used children in armed conflict only marginally declined – down from 10 in the period 2001-2004 to nine in 2004-2007. In Myanmar, boys below the age of 18 continued to be forcibly recruited into the army in large numbers and were used in active combat as well as other roles. India is among 14 governments which also recruited, and in some cases used in hostilities, children in auxiliary forces, civilian defence groups or in illegal militias and armed groups acting as proxies for official armed forces. The report further says, dozens of armed groups in at least 24 countries have recruited under-18s and many have used them in hostilities. In India, child recruitment by Maoist groups is reported to have increased since 2005 and there were persistent reports of child soldier use by groups in Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states. In the Philippines and Myanmar children are associated with armed groups involved in protracted low-level conflicts with state forces. In other situations, such as India, Myanmar and Thailand, no arrangements existed to facilitate the release of children from armed groups or to assist their reintegration. In a number of countries children suspected of involvement in armed groups have been arbitrarily detained and some were reported to have been subjected to ill-treatment or torture. In India, there was evidence that in areas of armed conflict children were detained, often in violation of national legislation designed to protect children. India is also one country which uses captured, surrendered or escapees from armed groups as spies, informants or messengers. The UN Security Council in July last year unanimously adopted a resolution against recruitment of child soldiers, pressing nations to halt the abuse of children including rape and attacks on schools. In its report on child soldiers in 2010, the United Nations for the first time named military forces and rebel groups that persistently used children in armed conflict. The groups included Myanmar`s national army and two rebel militant groups in the country; three insurgent groups in the Philippines; the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia; armies and militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and pro-government militias in Sudan as well as the southern-based Sudan People`s Liberation Army.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/loss-of-innocence/