This is the English version of an article on Myanmar published in the latest issue of Save the Children Sweden’s quarterly magazine “Barn” [Children]. It focuses on the situation and rights of children in Myanmar and Save the Children’s operations in the critical areas of health, education and child protection, including the prevention of future recruitment of child soldiers and support to the rehabilitation of former child soldiers.

Trafficking of children and young people is common. Coming mostly from desperate backgrounds, children and young people living in poverty, often with little education and no income, migrate to Thailand or China in search of work, many of them illegally, making them extra vulnerable.

16-year Aung Myint Than tells the harrowing story of how he lost both his hands when working at a factory in Thailand, and the testimonies of Kyaw,17 and Win, 15, on how they were both kidnapped and sold to the army, portray the harsh realities of everyday life for Burmese children.

In 2012, the Burmese government signed up to a landmark agreement, a Joint Action Plan that will keep children from being forced to serve as soldiers. The plan promises to release under-age recruits from the armed forces and prevent further recruitment of soldiers under the age of 18. The agreement also includes raising awareness to stop underage recruitment, granting of access to UN agencies and partners for monitoring underage recruits, and coordinating with non-state armed groups to stop underage recruitment