A child soldier refuses to return home as fear of killing

After deporting back by the Thai authorities to a border point in Three Pagoda Pass area of Burma, an orphan child soldier from Burmese Army (BA) refuses to return his home because he is afraid of being killed if re-arrested by his commander.

Child soldier, Soe Min, is 16 years old and he fled from Burmese Army’s Infantry Battalion No. 101 based Mergui District in Tenasserim Division, southernmost of Burma. When he was in his battalion, he was detained and seriously tortured by a Major after he complained about insufficient food fed by the battalion. Then when the battalion was in front-line, he decided to flee into Thailand. He was arrested by the Thai police and imprisoned for one week for illegal migration into Thailand, and he was deported back to the border together with many Burmese migrant workers.

Soe Min has Burmese Army’s ID No. 230597 and he was born in Pyin-wa village in Delta area of Irrawaddy Division. His father was U Maung Win and mother was Daw Myint Htwe.

When asked why he refused to return home, he said to IMNA, “I fled from front-line and it was a serious guilty in army. The battalion commanders also ordered that if someone who fled in the front-line was re-arrested, he must be killed. So I’m afraid to return home. If I go back, I have no parents and I have to stay with my uncle, and so I wouldn’t.”

After both of his parents passed away, Soe Min, has stayed with his uncle and but later as he did not stay and when some soldiers from BA’s Recruitment Battalion No. 93 organized him, he agreed to join BA.

While 40 new recruits were attending the basic military training in Thaton town in Mon State, there were about 16 children including him were trained. While he was at IB No. 101, he complained about insufficient food in battalion, he was detained and beaten by Major. Soe Naing.

He attended for military training school for 4 months, stayed at battalion base for one week and then was sent for 6 months to front-line in offensives against the rebels. Although the commanders in the battalion said his salary was 4500 Kyat per month and he could receive 5000 Kyat per month if he was in front-line, but he actually received 500-800 Kyat. Major. Soe Naing took most of his and other new recruit soldiers’ salaries. As he could not tolerate for the torturing in the battalion, that was he decided to flee, said by the child soldier.