Introduction
The protracted military conflict that took place as part of the civil war in Sri Lanka had a significant impact on all sectors of life without exception. Social contradictions between the majority of the inhabitants and the ethnic minority resulted in a bloody confrontation. The religious and nationalist ideas of local extremists turned Sri Lanka into the place of the constant threat of terrorist attacks by militant groups, one of the largest of which was the Tamil Tigers. The involvement of children as direct participants in the military conflict and performers of military duties is a sensitive issue that has been addressed at the international level more than once. The problem of child soldier recruitment is acute not only in the conflict in question but also in other countries with undeveloped economies, and searching for effective solutions is an urgent and responsible task.
Legal Attempts to Address the Issue
Despite the fact that the conflict in Sri Lanka ended officially in 2009, today, nationalist sentiments of ethnic minorities have not abated, and the use of child labor to achieve their goals remains a problem. As one of the attempts to address the issue, in 1990, the Convention on the Rights of the Child entered into force (United Nations). Numerous articles of this document assumed the creation of a legitimate basis for ensuring the protection of children from adult exploitation and violation of their rights, including racial, religious, and other rights (United Nations). Despite the broader range of demands and conditions that determine the need to protect children, challenges persist, and the conflict in Sri Lanka is proof.
More recently, the UN officials have attempted to tighten regulations on these issues. In 2012, the resolution was pushed for the creation of special investigative committees aimed to detect and prevent the abuse of child labor and violations of children’s rights (Children in the Military). However, the project was rejected due to a potential violation of the sovereignty of the target regions. As a result, despite human rights defenders’ and other interested boards’ attempts to rectify the situation, today, the problem has not faded into the background but, conversely, has developed to a significant scale.
According to the available data, today, in 13 countries, about 200,000 children are recruited as soldiers (IBTimes UK 00:00:23-00:00:30). This figure is alarming and suggests that there is no significant benefit from promoting specific laws and regulations. Therefore, more attention needs to be paid to the issue and strengthen the methods of influencing criminals who recruit children.
Children’s Recruitment Issue
The recruitment of children to perform military duties in terrorist groups began to cause a public outcry after precedents in different countries started to emerge. In Sri Lanka, this practice has been applied during many decades of confrontation between extremists and opponents of minority ideas. According to Darden, when recruiting children, terrorists use different motivational techniques by promising them fame, seeking self-identity, expanding family and friendship ties, and other prospects (4). However, in their methods, extremists do not spare children and use them as spies, mine detectors, and even suicide bombers.
In its documentary, FRONTLINE PBS | Official demonstrates the military training of children in the ISIS camp. According to the direct participant, adult extremists demand loyalty from young inmates while showing them scenes of suicide (FRONTLINE PBS | Official 00:03:00-00:03:10). Therefore, cruelty is one of the unacceptable manifestations of children’s recruitment.
In the conditions of total domination in certain territories, terrorists utilize all possible resources, including child labor, to perform their tasks and fight opponents. Asian extremist groups, as noted in one of the articles, often involve creating children’s squads, and their members are usually participants aged from 12 to 16 (Children in the Military). At the same time, not only criminal gangs but also parents themselves may encourage such participation.
As Darden argues, in some countries, including Sri Lanka, individual families voluntarily release their children to take part in hostilities under the auspices of terrorist forces (13). The reasons that lead to this lie not only in fear of the threat of execution for those who disobey but also in the true belief in the correctness of such decisions. Children are sometimes forced to become members of military groups, and, as noted in the interview by IBTimes UK, this often helps them to earn a living (00:01:24-00:01:27). Thus, there is a direct correlation between the level of the national economy and the degree of systematic violations and infringement of children’s rights.
Conclusion
The ratification of the relevant norms and regulations at the international level is an urgent but sometimes ineffective measure of addressing the problem of the infringement of children’s rights. The situations in Sri Lanka and other regions with strained social conditions prove that non-intervention justified by the violation of sovereignty is fraught with crimes against humanity. Children’s recruitment is a common practice in countries with tense socio-economic conditions, and the solution to this problem is a burning issue that the UN representatives need to address urgently.
Works Cited
“Children in the Military.” Wikipedia. 2021. Web.
“Children of ISIS (Full Film) | FRONTLINE.” YouTube, uploaded by FRONTLINE PBS | Official. 2015. Web.
“Child Soldier Recruitment Is a Problem in Many Countries.” YouTube, uploaded by IBTimes UK. 2015. Web.
Darden, Jessica Trisko. Tackling Terrorists’ Exploitation of Youth. American Enterprise Institute, 2019.
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner Human Rights. Convention on the Rights of the Child. 1990. Web.