UN finds 600 child combatants in RP 04/09/2011

UN finds 600 child combatants in RP

04/09/2011
The United Nations yesterday said it has so far registered 600 child soldiers, some as young as eight, fighting for armed groups in the Philippines and expected the final number to be in the thousands.

The country’s main Muslim rebel group, communist insurgents and al-Qaeda-linked extremists were all on the UN “list of shame” for recruiting boys and girls, UN representatives said.

“We have about 600 children registered (as soldiers) at the moment. We expect it to (eventually) be in the early thousands,” said Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN special representative for children and armed conflict..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110409hed6.html