April 11, 2001

Mr. Chairman,

Today, I would like to bring your attention to the situation of Burmese children in my country, particularly in armed conflicts.

I spent most of my life in the refugee camp at Thai-Burma border. As a victim of the half-a-century long civil war, just like other children in the camps, I personally experienced the impact of the war on the lives of children. Violence and instability have had a considerable negative impact on the situation of children in Burma. Many of them have been subjected to various forms of violations of their rights and have been forced to flee areas affected by violence. Families have been forced to cross borders to seek for protection as refugees.

To flee from one's home is to experience a deep sense of loss, and the decision to flee is not taken lightly. Those who make this decision do so because they are in danger of being killed, tortured, raped, abducted, forcibly recruited, or slaved, among other reasons. They leave assets and property, relatives, friends, familiar environments, and established social networks behind them. Although the decision to leave is normally taken by adults, young children can recognize what is happening and can sense their parents' uncertainty and fear.

Children have witnessed the inhumane torture and killing of family members, relatives or neighbours by the Burmese military. Children have witnessed bomb shelling, landmine explosions, burning villages, destruction of their belongings, including crops and live stocks by the army.

Last year in August, I met a young girl of 12-years-old in the Umpium refugee camp in Mae Sod, Thailand. It was only six months ago that she arrived in the camp. This girl told me, "Once we heard the shelling we all ran away. I got separated from my parents. I did not know where to go, so I hid in the bushes. I was so terrified as I saw a group of soldiers dragged a woman, beaten and forced her to the ground, and raped her. I did not know who she was at first. As soon as soldiers left the scene, I went out to help her. Then I found it was my mother. She tried to talk to me, but I was not able to hear her words clearly. In the evening, she died from the injuries. I cried and cried not knowing where to go. I was also very hungry. I stayed beside my mother and until the next morning when two villagers from my village found me and took me along with them. I still don't know where my father and my two brothers are." She was adopted by a family and is currently staying in the camp.

Mr. Chairman,

According to the statistics of several NGOs working along the Thai-Burma border, there are 120,000 refugees living in the camps along the Thai-Burma border and at least 40% are children. Most of these children have no access to formal education. With the help of volunteer teachers, the camp committees have opened a school so that the children will have basic education. Still, lack of resources and lack of trained teachers is always an issue. Basic healthcare is very limited to all refugees. For example, there is only one clinic run by an NGO health workers for 10,000 refugees in a camp.

Mr Chairman,

The Burmese military regime claims that it has improved education for children in the country. Official statistics indicate that a quarter of school age children never even enroll in primary school, and that drop out rates are very high. Of those who begin the primary education program, only a third complete the full 5 years. Many people in Burma cannot even afford to send or keep their children at school.

Primary school attendance is free in Burma, but in fact parents incur significant expenses in sending their children to school for textbooks, uniforms, exercise books, stationery, a mandatory yearly contribution to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) fund, and ad hoc contributions in cash and in kind for school improvements.

Poor families who cannot afford to pay fees to schools are often doubly penalized when they cannot maintain even a minimal household income without sending their children out to work.

The Burmese junta insists on its commitment to "Education for All". However, the SPDC cannot supply accurate and updated information about the educational status of children. Anecdotal evidence indicates that armed conflict and poverty are the two primary causes of Burma’s poor state of education.

Mr. Chairman,

Let me call on the Commission to urge the military regime to end any occurrence of forced relocation, displacement and other types of involuntary population movements which deeply affects families and the rights of children.

I'd also like to call upon the Commission to encourage the SPDC to negotiate a nationwide cease-fire with the armed groups, which can create a peaceful environment for all children to receive proper education.