Armed Conflict in the Philippines: Children Used as Soldiers in Warfare

ARMED CONFLICT IN THE PHILIPPINES: CHILDREN USED AS SOLDIERS IN WARFARE

A Library Research Report

Submitted to the

Faculty of Arts and Letters

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Course

English 3 (Academic Writing)

De Leon, Princess

Dela Cruz, Hannah

2CA1

October 2014

Outline

1. Introduction

1. General Idea the military use of children as soldiers.
2. Common understanding or perception of people with regards to child soldiers.
3. Brief History of child soldiers.
4. Child soldiers in underdeveloped and poverty stricken countries.
5. Colonial Influences in the Philippine History.
6. Current situation of child soldiers in the Philippines.
7. Children bearing arms for the NPA, MNLF, MILF and the Abu Sayyaf.
8. Law implementation and programs to protect children.

Thesis Statement: In recent years, Filipino children have been the focus of several armed  groups as potential candidates for 'child soldiers' - young boys and  girls bearing arms and becoming fierce fighters through indoctrination.

1. Causes

1. Children caught and driven into civil warfare.
2. Development of light weapons and small arms.
3. Social Economic Situation in the Philippines as contributing factors to the creation of the child soldier.
4. Poverty, social injustice, limited or no access to basic services as the socio-politico-cultural and economic realities that aggravate current situation of children.
5. Convenience of children for use of military.
6. Child's willingness to join the military group.

1. Effects

1. Traits of children.
2. Basic rights of children.
3. Role of the Youth in nation building.
4. Death count of child soldiers.
5. Physical, mental, psychological, and social abusement experienced by child soldiers.
6. Rights of children being violated by armed conflicts.

1. Solutions

1. Resolve conflicts between the Mindanao and the state.
2. Implementation and discharge of ceasefire and peace agreements.
3. Prohibiting the use of children in armed conflicts.
4. Monitoring and reporting the status of child soldiers and their rehabilitation and reintegration.
5. A response system to prevent and respond to specific incidents of grave violations against children.
6. Comprehensive programs and implementation of laws for Children in Armed Conflict.
7. Appropriate educational assistance and alternative learning programs.
8. Proper persecution of offenders.
9. Promoting psychological recovery and social reintegration.
10. Re-establish a sense of normalcy and priority to preventing further traumatic experiences.

1. Conclusion

1. Effects of armed conflicts on the lives of millions of children.
2. Violence done to child soldiers.
3. Experiences in the front lines of war.
4. The after effects of war.
5. Children should not be used as weapons in armed conflicts.
6. Proper allocation of resources for the children affected.
7. Providing rehabilitation for the child survivors.
8. Attainment and implementation of programs on preventing the use of children in armed conflicts.
9. Resolve conflicts between the parties.
10. Attaining peace and justice without the use of violence.

A child is every human between the age of birth to puberty. A child, by legal terms, is a person under the age of 18("age of maturity" or age of majority). Children are assumed to have not yet fully developed physically, socially, psychologically, mentally. Therefore, a child needs the guidance of an adult in decision-making. A child, being in the process of reaching the stage of maturity, is not fully aware of the consequences of his/her decision and is not responsible for his/her actions.

Child soldiers are persons at a minority age, used in regular or irregular armed conflicts and groups. They are often used as messengers, combatants, fighters, porters, pages, porters, squires, cooks, and some are even recruited as sexual slaves and used in  forced marriage. Armed forces take advantage of children's innocence, physical vulnerability and being easily intimidated. They use their strengths and weaknesses to make obedient child soldiers. They are often forced to do more dangerous tasks such as wielding deadly weapons like AK-47s and M-16s on the front lines of combat, used as human mine detectors, sent out to suicide missions, carry deadly weapons, and are sent for lookouts. Children join armed conflicts either by choice or by force. Children experiencing family conflicts or suffering poverty see armed groups as their chance for survival and escape.  During armed conflicts, a society deteriorates, making children suffer with no school, limited access to food, shelter and security, separating them from family members. Out of desperation, they join armed forces for a chance to regain these needs and survive. Some children view joining the armed forces positively. They look at it as a source of meaning in their lives, giving them a sense of discipline, loyalty, pride, and empowerment. They perceive it as a sacrifice for the nation and for greater good.(De Castro, 2013)