Dear United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
In our 8th grade language arts project, we are discussing child soldiers, what they are, what we should think about them, and what should happen to them.
After studying this issue I have a recommendation for UNICEF. I would like UNICEF to help support the cause of banning child soldiers. However my essay isn't just about whether or not child soldiers should be used, or how to stop them, because obviously it is a bad thing, but what my essay is about is if child soldiers should be given amnesty or be prosecuted for the war crimes they committed. As well as me believing child soldiers should be given the chance to go to a rehabilitation center.
For many years, child soldiers have been used in wars. Military commanders or leaders are abusing children and forcing them to become soldiers. This is a worldwide problem, except, it normally happens in third world countries - countries that are very poor and don't have enough money to afford a good professional army, but instead rely on child soldiers.
Child soldiers, and what happens to them, doesn't impact us, so why should we care or do anything about it? Because if we don't do anything, those child soldiers will commit war crimes, abuse, kill, and torture civilians. In other words, they can become traumatized perpetrators of horrible war crimes. The question isn't if child soldiers are okay or good. They are just the last resource for these countries. They don't have anything else to "use" as soldiers. So basically if we do stop child soldiers, these poor countries won't have any soldiers and will have a really bad military, which will stop them from starting conflicts. The consequence of this is that the country can't defend itself from external threats. Child soldiers are used in a lot of places in the world.
Child soldiers are in third world countries all over the globe, they spread from Yemen to Mexico, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Myanmar, from Syria to the Central African Republic, and from Sudan and South Sudan to Columbia. Child soldiers are in the militaries of countries to the warlords and drug lords in their countries. There is no one place with child soldiers, which makes it even harder to make it stop. “In the last 2 years, 20 states have been reported to have child soldiers in government, government-affiliated, and non-state armed groups. Additionally, 40 states still have minimum age recruitment requirements under 18 years.” (11 Facts About Child Soldiers)
Drug lords and warlords are one of the reason why there are so many child soldiers in third world countries. The reason warlords and drug lords use child soldiers is unique and smart. First they steal the children from their families, either bribe them, threaten them, or say that it is god's will for them to be part of a war, as a result, making them stay. Warlords and drug lords use child soldiers for the same reasons as third world countries use them, they are cheap. Another reason why this might be, is because child soldiers are illegal. The country might want to attack the warlord or drug lord, but because they have children with them from that same country, it prevents the country from attacking because they don’t want to harm the children, which, in my opinion is really clever.
However, child soldiers are illegal, and they are illegal in every country in the world. The reason that countries still use them is because when war strikes a country, laws are rarely followed. As a result, children under the age of 18 are recruited by armies. Even though it is the countries’ and army's fault for recruiting the children, the children still get punished. Look at the story of Akram, "A nine-year-old child who was used as a bomber, was prosecuted for the crimes he committed despite being 9 years younger that the current minimum age of criminal responsibility in Yemen." (Child Soldiers—Victims or Perpetrators?) "As well as the time in the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980's, Iranian children who were used as soldiers would be sent out ahead in waves over minefields. Also, during Palestine’s fight with Israel, children would often be used as soldiers from both sides." (Child Soldiers—Victims or Perpetrators?)
You may ask, “What are child soldiers?” “They are children, any age below 18, that are recruited by an armed force and are part of a military or an army. Child soldiers are normally either used as fighters, cooks, suicide bombers, a human shield, messengers, spies, or for some kind of sexual purpose.” (11 Facts About Child Soldiers) “Some children are under the age of 10 when they are forced to serve.”
The real question is, what should happen to child soldiers, should they be prosecuted, or given amnesty, should they go to a rehabilitation center, go to jail, or be executed.
In my opinion, it depends from child to child whether or not they get amnesty or are prosecuted. It depends on what the child does, if they commit war crimes, if they abuse, and if they torture. I don't think that whether or not they voluntarily joined the army should be part of the consideration. The reason I think this, is if they voluntarily joined, they probably lost everything, their parents, their homes, they don't have food, and don't know what to do. In addition, they are being brainwashed and don't know anymore what is good and bad in society. “Children who are not forced to be soldiers volunteer themselves because they feel societal pressure and are under the impression that volunteering will provide a form of income, food, or security, and willingly join the group.” (Child Soldiers—Victims or Perpetrators?)
After being lost, they join the military. The military has food and water, shelter, and other things, other than necessities, like drugs and alcohol. Things that make them feel good. I understand that the children have nowhere to go, and they probably don't have parents either, so what better than to join the military? Children are indoctrinated by their army leaders by fake promises of victory, drugs, alcohol, freedom, as well as corporal punishment, together with their daily food and shelter. All this with the effect that the children kill innocent civilians, other children, and even their own families. Other examples of leaders taking the children are by force, or because the children have nowhere else to go, no one else that cares about them or wants them except for the military.
Now getting back to them not knowing what is good and bad in society. Look at Omar Khadr, a former child soldier. It was reported that“two former interrogators testified that Khadr had bragged about killing a U.S. soldier and that he claimed the day he planted land mines to kill U.S. and coalition forces was the happiest day of his life.” Another thing that happened to him was that “former interrogators and Dr. Welner testified that when Khadr was angry at his guards, he would recall how he had killed a U.S. soldier and that would make him happy. The implication, of course, was that Khadr was, in the words of one interrogator, “cold and callous.”” This was mentioned on the website called (The Child Soldier on Trial at Guantanamo). He was a normal boy that was taken off the dirt football pitches, who was changed forever. His happiest moment in life wasn’t like any normal kid, being loved, but instead, he was happiest when he killed a U.S. soldier.
During war, the children committed war crimes. They killed innocent civilians, they abused people, and they tortured people. In any case, they are not, like child criminals, they were brainwashed, they never learned, they never knew. Except, they should have logically known that they shouldn't kill civilians. They shouldn't abuse and torture them either. So, should they be prosecuted for this? They should be prosecuted, if they committed war crimes, even though they were brainwashed and forced. This doesn't excuse the facts of the way they acted and the pain they brought to families. It does lessen the punishment. The punishment that child criminals would have gotten due to them knowing what they did. No one is telling child criminals to do it, they could have easily avoided the situation, unlike child soldiers.
Think about it, if we don't punish the children, or take them away and just leave them where they are, the leaders or the commanders of the armies will just keep on using more and more child soldiers. The best thing about child soldiers is that there is no end to supply, states the website that is called (Armed & Underage). So the leaders will just keep using them, thinking no one is going to do anything about it. Another reason third world countries use them is because they are cheap to get with very little additional cost of food, water, shelter, drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. The reason the army gives them drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes is so that it helps the commanders stay in command, and it makes the kids even more loyal. The children are also easily manipulated, forcing them to make choices like joining the army. Something they probably wouldn't normally consider, except, the army recruits them through false promises. As well as them being easily manipulated, they are also fearless. The reason for them being fearless is because in school they didn't learn about the consequences of war and what it can do to the children. The reason they probably don't learn about the horror of war in school is either because they don't go to school. This can occur for many reasons, or because the government forces the teachers to teach them that war is good, and it is god’s will for it. This stage is where the biggest part of the brainwash starts, because it is at a young age. Another reason for them being fearless is drug induced bravery. “Children who are poor, displaced from their families, have limited access to education, or live in a combat zone are more likely to be forcibly recruited.” (11 Facts About Child Soldiers).
What I think should happen to these child soldiers is to see if they can be rehabilitated. Someone, for example, a company or a nation should listen to the story of the children, what has happened to them, what they did, who they killed, how long they served, how they were treated, and how they treated others. This will determine what will happen to them after having gone to a rehabilitation center where they will get a forced treatment, and a forced free education.They will learn the consequences of war, learn what is good and bad, and hopefully at the end of this, they will be able to function in society appropriately.
In conclusion, I think the situation with child soldiers is sad and horrible, I feel that child soldiers, if they committed war crimes should be prosecuted for their actions, but the punishment should not be as cruel of a punishment as if a child criminal would do the exact same act. The reason I believe this is because I think, instinctively child soldiers should know that killing innocent civilians is bad, and so is killing in general, but in a way, they were forced and didn't have an easy way to avoid it. As well, every case of child soldiers should be treated individually.
I feel that it is a necessity for first world countries to step in and help prevent child soldiers from being used. I also believe that a forced education and a forced treatment for them are required because of their instability, and them not knowing the difference between good and bad. I hope we abolish the use of child soldiers in the near future, just like we abolished slavery and put equal rights into play.
Sincerely Ayvret van Waveren
an 8th grader
from TAISM, The American International School of Muscat
Websites I used:
11 Facts About Child Soldiers
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