Ranked as 8th in the global index for its use of underage fighters, Myanmar struggles to champion the fight for human rights as it continues to violate the minimum age and health standards for army recruitment. In the northern hillside, it’s common for military coups to abduct kids from poor villages—drafting some as young as eight years old—to fight in ethnic wars, work as porters, and even serve in sex trade.
Hiding behind faith, families seek refugee in monastic orders to hide children from forced military enslavement, often sending their kids to live in temples at an early age. Though religious laws in Myanmar require people to serve as monks twice in life (one before eight years old and another after 18), but what was required to be nine days of temporary monkhood often turns into months, and for some, into years of worship in order to escape from being the pawn of war and power.
In December 2013, the Joint Action Plan that aimed to end underage recruits in the national army expired between the Myanmar government and the United Nations. Even though the junta released 472 child soldiers within the past two years—fear still exists.
