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YANGON, 16 March — The Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council held the press conference (2/2005) yesterday. Matters relating to accusation of Myanmar to be one of the countries conscripting child soldiers were clarified by Director-General U Sit Myaing of Social Welfare Department of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and on exposing of those who published and sold micro-books for some students to cheat at matriculation examination by Director-General Brig-Gen Khin Yi of Myanmar Police Force. In his clarification, Director-General U Sit Myaing said: At the press conference, clarifications were made on how the all-round well-being of the entire people including children are brought about in Myanmar. The Government is safeguarding and promoting the rights and interests of the children. In a report submitted to the UN in February, some points based on false information were mentioned to the effect that in the world some nations were conscripting child soldiers and Myanmar was on the list of such nations. In Myanmar society, children are highly valued, cherished and brought up properly with loving kindness according to the traditions. Myanmar society is made up of closely-knitted families, where not only the parents but also grandparents and relatives nurtured and take care of the children. From birth till death, citizens are registered accordingly and provided with identification certificates by the Ministry of Health, the Immigration and Population Department, and ward/village-tract administrative bodies, according to procedures. Myanmar signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on 16 July 1991. To safeguard the rights of the children as mentioned in the UN Convention, the Child Law was promulgated on 14 July 1993. The Law stands witness that priority is given to welfare of children and protection given. Under the directive No 13/73 of the Defence Council dated 8 April 1974, the Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air Force) shall recruit persons who are citizens of Myanmar; are between the ages of 18 and 25; are physically sound for military service; and must have prescribed education qualification. It is prescribed that new soldiers are to be recruited from those who are over 18 years old. Hence, no one under 18 is recruited. In spite of the regulations on recruitment of soldiers, sometimes some minors were recruited due to inefficiency of recruiting personnel. When minors were found later, they were sent back home immediately. Altogether 213 such persons were sent home—85 in 2002, 75 in 2003, 50 in 2004 and three in February 2005. An ILO liaison officer reported 15 accusations on recruitment of minors. All the accusations had been investigated and dealt with. In connection with this, three minors were sent to their parents. One person was not in the military service. Six persons remain in the military service of their own volition. Three persons were absent without leave and action is taken against two persons. According to the investigation, action was taken against the responsible persons for forced recruiting of new members. Those included 17 in 2002 and five in 2003 totalling 22. In order not to recruit minors, the State Peace and Development Council formed the committee for prevention against recruitment of minors on 5 January 2004. The Chairman of the committee is Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Thein Sein and members are the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, the Minister for Labour, the Judge Advocate-General, the Vice-Chief of Armed Forces Training, the Director of Recruitment, the Deputy Chief Justice, the Deputy Attorney-General and the Deputy Director of Directorate of Recruitment as Secretary. The committee is carrying out the tasks with the objectives of preventing forced recruitment of minors for military service, safeguarding their interest and ensuring observance of the prescribed orders and directives precisely. In order to realize the objectives, a working committee consisting of the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Labour was formed. To witness how the young men between the ages of 18 and 25 of their own volition are recruited for military service, UNICEF Resident Representative Ms Carroll C Long visited No 1 recruitment unit in Yangon on 3 March 2004. Ms Long and UN Coordinator Mr Charles Petrie visited No 2 recruitment unit in Mandalay. They were briefed on systematic recruitment in accord with law and directives, sending of those who were disqualified to their respective parents, action taken against those who recruited new members without observing the directives by officials of the Ministry of Defence. The two UN officials had a chance to interview three new recruits freely. They learnt that the three had already attained the required age as evidenced by their national registration cards and they joined military service of their own volition. To study about the issuance of national registration cards concerning with evidence for age, UN Coordinator Mr Charles Petrie and UNICEF Resident Representative Ms Carroll C Long visited Sitpinkwin Village in Thanlyin Township and Myaingthaya model village in Kyauktan Township on 10 March. They observed the registration of births and deaths as well as issuance of age-wise citizenship cards. They observed the process of issuing birth / death certificates by the Health Department; birth certificates (1, 2 and 3) and death certificates (1, 2 and 3) by ward/village-tract peace and development council; enlistment of households on the basis of those certificates, issuance of temporary citizenship cards to those who have reached the age of 10 and issuance of citizenship cards to those who have reached the age of 18. They observed the procedures and asked officials and the villagers on relevant information. So, it can vividly be seen that the alleged forced recruitment especially child conscriptions are based on false information. In Myanmar only those who have reached the age of 18 are recruited for military service. They have to show citizenship cards as evidence for age attainment. In connection with the forced recruitment of children for military service, Myanmar signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and became a signatory. Although it is mentioned in the convention that those who are between the age of 15 and 18 can be recruited for military service, only those who are between the age of 18 and 25 are recruited of their own volition as prescribed in the paragraph 2 (b) of the Directive No 13/73 of the Defence Council. If there were under-age persons in military service who are not in accord with the above-mentioned directive, they were permitted to resign from military service. The clarifications show that Myanmar is observing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It has promulgated the Child Law and has been safeguarding the interests of the children. The Ministry of Defence has also issued rules, procedures, notifications and directives to prohibit the recruitment of those who are under 18. If lower level organizations recruit new members by mistake, the persons in question are sent back to their parents. Action is being taken against those who fail to observe the prescribed rules and regulations in connection with the recruitment. Next, Brig-Gen Khin Yi made clarificaitons. He said: I will now deal with the matter in which some unscrupulous businessmen have published micro-books containing all the matriculation subjects for students to cheat at the matriculation examination. Matriculation examination is an important qualification test for the youths who will take over the State duties in the future. Thus, the State has placed special emphasis on the examination. But greedy businessmen took advantage of the matriculation examination as a lucrative market, and published various kinds of books without permission featuring special issues for the examination, tips and spots, and answers for the possible examination questions to make profit. The worst is that they are distributing and selling computer-printed books small enough to hide on the body of students sitting for the examination in major towns and small towns. Their greedy acts amount to breaching the education policy of the State and ruining the moral character of the new generation youths. Thus, effective action had been taken against the persons who made the micro-books and who copied or printed them, the owners of copiers and printing machines that were being used in duplicating copies of the books, and the distributors. The authorities arrested Win Thein, 30, of third floor, room 6, building No 1, Ward 3, Kamayut Township on 13 March 2005, while he was selling the micro-books. He was caught at Hledan traffic point junction in Kamayut together with 138 copies of the books containing all the matriculation subjects. Further interrogation had led to the arrest of Myat Thu (a) Htoo Ein Thin of room 62/B, building No 1, Ward 3, Kamayut Township, together with 447 micro-books containing all matriculation subjects. The authorities exposed more links, arresting Po Tok and wife Ma Thida of 541, Nwethaki 4th Street, Ka gyi Ward, North Okkalapa. Further information led to the arrest of Ma Yin Yin (a) Ma Yin, 55, daughter of U Tha Gya, of 930, Kanoung Street, 35th Ward, Dagon Myothit (North) on 9 March 2005. She was arrested together with 1,357 sheets of 7.5-cm by 4-cm films used in printing the books. Ma Yin Yin bought the special issues for the matriculation examination and placed an order with May Offset in Sangyoung Township to print the reduced size copies of the books. She kept the films and used them every academic year to print the books again and again. Thus, the authorities also took action against the owner, U Labya Nawlon, and sealed the Japanese-made Oliver printing machine of the May Offset at No 8, Ingapu Street, North Linlun Ward, Sangyoung Township. He had been doing the illegal job since 2000 and making profit out of it. Action will be taken against the culprits exploiting students under sections 17 and 20 of the Printing Act. According to the section 17 of the Act of 1962, the punishment for unauthorized printing and publishing is from one year to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine ranging from K 3,000 to K 30,000. The offenders will face the punishment and fine separately or both. The section 20 also states that the offender will face punishment from one year to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine from K 3,000 to K 30,000 separately or both. Thus, I would like to warn the greedy businessmen through the journalists to stay away from committing such crimes that will ruin the students, who are the nation’s future, and also the education system. Next, officials concerned
replied queries raised those present. |
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