Philippine Crack Down on Child Soldier Recruitment
On it's fight towards greater
importance upon human rights, the Philippines is currently underway
in implementing a new law, the Special Protection of Children in
Situations of Armed Conflict Bill, in the hopes of harsher punishment
and criminalization in regards to child soldiers and their
recruitment. This new law has gained praise among Human Rights
advocate groups, especially that of Child Soldiers International, as
it would protect children from recruitment and engagement in war-like
circumstances, as well as preventing occurrences such as the
occupation of schools by armed forces or groups. However, Child
Soldiers International, with the support of other groups such as the
Human Rights Watch Organization, request an amendment be made to the
proposed law. Due to the language of the bill, they suggest to
emphasize the prosecution of solely the child soldier recruiters as
the current bill leaves an undefined distinction of who could be
deemed responsible, such as parents and relatives. The ill-defined
law is suggested to cause misinterpretation and misuse, allowing the
blame to fall upon parents whose children have been forcibly
recruited under the premise of coercion and the “allowing” of
said action.
The use of children in warfare has
seen a drastic incline during the past century, especially in
war-stricken areas in Africa. The Philippines has seen their own
children forcibly recruited as soldiers, especially by the communist
rebel New Peoples Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
But even in government forces and militia, children are being
recruited due to a lack of thorough background checks. The use of
children in war-like situations causes immense and severe
psychological damage and trauma to the individual. In addition, the
detrimental damage done by child soldiers as their innocence
prohibits them from fully understanding the grave circumstances and
consequences of their actions which is fed to them by easily being
influenced and persuaded. This new law in the Philippines is
detrimental in its attempt to align its laws to that of international
legal protection of children in armed conflicts, as it will also
ensure the rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers.
Oct. 19, 2012 ~16.20
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