NAY PYI TAW, 3 Sept- The Commander-in-Chief (Army) Office allowed 42 minors from respective commands to quit military services, handing them over to their parents at No (1) Transit Centre in Yangon this morning.

It was attended by Maj- Gen Tin Maung Win from the Commander-in-Chief (Army) Office, senior military officers, directors-general and directors of the Home Affairs Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Ministry, the Labour Ministry and the Union Attorney-General’s Office, officials of UNICEF, UNHCR, ILO, Save the Children, World Vision, World Food Programme and UNDP, 42 minors who were allowed to resign and their parents.

Maj-Gen Tin Maung Win and UNICEF Resident Representative Mr Ramesh Shrestha delivered addresses. The officials then handed letters approving their resignation from the Defence Services and citizenship scrutiny cards for children between 10 and 18 to the children who were handed over to their parents or guardians.

The children and their parents were then transported interim camp arranged by CTFMR and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. The camp will help the minors contact their parents if they have lost contact and provides medical treatment if necessary. The camp will also enable the children to rejoin the school or pursue informal education.

Vocational trainings and materials are provided by the camp which will also fund the homecoming of the minors.

Myanmar signed UN CTFMR on 27 June, 2012, to wage campaign against minor recruitment for military services.

As the country has agreed with the detailed plans, the measures will be carried out to get rid of all minors in the Defence Services within 18 months.

The Tatmadaw is taking measures to prevent drafting minors and to allow resignation as early as possible if there is any mistaken recruitment of minors.

Link: http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/index.html