A ceremony was held in Rangoon on Monday for 80 underage soldiers who have been released from duty in the Burmese army and allowed to go home.
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Along with the 80 children and their families, the event at a military guesthouse included the participation of representatives from UNICEF, UNHCR, ILO, Save the Children Fund, World Vision, World Food Program and UNDP, as well as government officials.
The underage recruits were handed discharge certificates from the army and national identity cards.
This is the eighth release of child soldiers since President Thein Sein came to power in 2011. Sixty-six underage soldiers were released in 2012 and 110 children in 2013. Monday’s event marked the fourth transfer this year: 96 children were allowed to go home on 18 January; 91 on 1 August; and 109 on 25 September.
