A Human Rights Watch report in 2002 labelled the Burmese junta the world’s leading recruiter of child soldiers. Despite concerted attempts by civil society groups and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the ruling generals continue to use children as porters and fighters in its 500,000-strong army, which continues to be aggressively expanded.

The use of child soldiers is illegal under both international and Burmese domestic law, but rare footage of child soldiers shot by DVB cameramen inside Burma shows they are still in use.