UN body: PHL rebels agree not to use child warriors

Leaders of rebel groups have agreed to cooperate with United Nations officials to pursue measures to put a stop on the use of children in various situations of armed conflicts in the Philippines. Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said the UN body is eying to rehabilitate thousands of children affiliated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) alone. She said the communist-led National Democratic Front did not categorically say if they are using child fighters but the NDF acknowledged that this particular issue is a “problem." “With regards to the MILF, we agreed to accelerate the process of registering children, to impose a nine-month time line for the actual registration. After the nine-month period, we will work towards a period of reintegration and rehabilitation of these children," she said. According to her, at least 600 children from the MILF have registered since August last year under the rehabilitation program. But she said they are expecting that a "[few] thousands" would register with the program in the next nine months. The 600 children, she said, were deployed in actual combat, used as spies, porters "and other kind of roles." "We hope to do some more registration of them in the next nine months… We will accelerate the process. We expect it to be in the early thousands," said Coomaraswamy who met with top MILF officials during her visit to the Philippines. While she noted that the MILF did not openly admit it is using children in the combat, the group agreed to come up with an action plan against the use of children in armed confrontations. According to her, the MILF is even "assisting to identify who we think are associated with the armed group." MILF negotiators have resumed formal negotiations with the administration of President Benigno Aquino III a few months ago. The Philippine military estimates the MILF strength at over 10,000 fighters, mostly based in Central Mindanao. Likewise, Coomaraswamy said the NDF – which is representing the New People’s Army and the Communist Party of the Philippines in peace negotiations with the Philippine government – has agreed to discuss with the UN team about possible plan to stop the use of children in armed confrontations. "They have invited my team to Utrecht to begin discussions on an action plan, (registration) and reintegration of children. We hope to send a team to Utrecht the soonest time possible to begin the discussions," Coomaraswamy said. The discussions in Utrecht, she said, will be done in consultation with the Philippine government. "These negotiations are purely humanitarian and these will be done in full consultation with the government of the Philippines," she said. The military has placed the NPA’s strength at 4,000 fighters. The NPA has recently observed its 42nd founding anniversary last March 29. As to the number of children the communist rebels are employing, Coomaraswamy said: "There was no specific discussion of details and numbers, but this would be discussed in future meetings." "What we discussed is the commitment to begin discussions on the action plan. They seem comfortable with the kind of action plan that was (pursued) with the MILF and so we are going to try to move forward on that basis," she said. "I must say that they did not categorically say that they have children (combatannts), maybe for legal reasons. But they have acknowledged that this is a problem, by agreeing to work towards an action plan so we are working on that basis and we will go ahead and register children…and go ahead with the reintegration process," she added. During her visit in the Philippines, Coomaraswamy said she also met with top government and military officials, the International Monitoring Team that is overseeing a standing ceasefire agreement with the MILF, and children victimized in the armed conflict. She also said she met with lawmakers who are drafting a “special law" for the protection of children in the armed conflict. “We are in full support of it and we look forward to working with them in finalizing the draft," she said. Coomaraswamy said the Armed Forces gave her a detailed presentation about child warriors and explained allegations about military violations. She said the military had also agreed to re-issue an order to all its field commanders for the protection of children they met in skirmishes and to pursue further training on the protection of children. — LBG/RSJ, GMA News