[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 22]
[House]
[Page 30727]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        CHILD SOLDIERS IN BURMA

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to a new 
report by Human Rights Watch detailing the use of child soldiers in 
Burma, particularly by the brutal dictatorship there.
  Past reports have suggested that there are approximately 70,000 child 
soldiers in Burma, the largest child soldier army in the world. It is 
difficult to know the exact number. But we do know that not only does 
the SPDC regime refuse to allow democracy and engages in ethnic 
cleansing, it also deliberately, as policy, targets children for 
military recruitment, training, and battle.
  Children are targeted simply walking down the street or waiting for a 
train. If they don't have their ID cards, so-called ``recruiters'' tell 
the children they will be sent to prison or they can join the army. If 
the children try to run away, they are severely punished.
  Children are also forced by the SPDC to participate in human rights 
violations such as burning down villages or shooting villagers on 
sight, women and children included.
  Mr. Speaker, the SPDC dictatorship must go. It is time for democracy 
in Burma.

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