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Military abuse fuels deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation for children in eastern Burma
Media Release - Embargoed until April 30th 2008 -
Military abuse fuels deteriorating human rights and humanitarian
situation for children in eastern Burma
(Bangkok, April 30th 2008) – The aggressive expansion and local enforcement of military rule in
Karen State of eastern Burma by the country's ruling regime have involved systematic
violations of the rights of children and led to a downward spiral in their health, education, and
opportunities for personal and social development, the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
said today in a new report.
The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), which currently rules Burma, has worked
to extend military control over the entire civilian population in Karen State, enforced heavy
restrictions on travel and trade and relied on persistent exploitation in the form of forced labour
and other extortion to support local army units. These abuses have brought increased
household impoverishment, undermined rural social structures and exacerbated the region's
humanitarian crisis. For children, however, these abuses have been especially disastrous.
"The effects of these abuses have been particularly harmful to children due to their different
roles in the household and community, their greater physical and emotional vulnerability and
the smaller degree of control that they are able to exert over their own lives," said Naw Rebecca
Dun, Programme Director of KHRG.
Despite the frequency and intensity of ongoing military abuse, children, their families and
communities have adopted creative and daring strategies to resist abuse and claim their rights.
"While Burma's military regime has shown blatant disregard for the rights of children in Karen
State, local children and other villagers have courageously resisted abuse in an effort to take
control of their lives and claim their rights," Naw Rebecca Dun said. Drawing on the voices of
local villagers living in Karen State, KHRG today released a report investigating the SPDC's
perpetration of widespread and systematic military abuses; the effects these abuses have on
the region's children and their families; and the ways in which they and their communities are
responding, resisting and claiming their rights.
The 174-page report, Growing up under militarisation: Abuse and agency of children in Karen
State presents an in-depth picture of children's lives in rural Karen State, and is the most
comprehensive account ever produced on the children's rights situation in Burma. Through the
personal narrative of local villagers, drawn from over 160 interviews with KHRG field
researchers, this report finds that systematic military abuse has disastrously affected the health,
education, work roles and personal and social development of the vast majority of children in
Karen State and shows no signs of slowing down despite the military's claims of a potential
return to civilian rule. "If Burma's military leaders are sincere about a return to civilian rule, they
can begin by ending the abusive policy of militarisation which has so catastrophically
undermined the health and development of children across Karen State and other rural areas in
the country," Naw Rebecca Dun said.
A media kit including a copy of the report, a report briefer, and a DVD with recent footage of displaced
children in Karen State is available on demand. For print quality photos for inclusion in news articles,
please email khrg@khrg.org with the ID number of desired photos from the photo sheet below.
About KHRG
The Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) was founded in 1992 and documents the situation of villagers
and townspeople in rural Burma through their direct testimonies, supported by photographic and other
evidence. KHRG operates completely independently and is not affiliated with any political or other
organisation. Examples of our work can be seen on the World Wide Web at www.khrg.org, or printed
copies may be obtained subject to approval and availability by sending a request to khrg@khrg.org.
Contact
For more details of the report, or interviews, please contact KHRG spokesperson Naw Rebecca Dun via
e-mail at khrg@khrg.org or by phone at +66 (0) 85-2685519.
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