By Min Lwin
While 15-year-old San Lin Aung stood waiting for a train home at Pyinmana railroad station, an army sergeant approached him and asked to see his ID.
The boy couldn't produce one, so the soldier sent him to an army recruitment unit in Mingalardon, on the outskirts of Rangoon. The officer in charge of the unit refused to enlist him, but another unit in Mandalay accepted him without question.
Two 14 year-olds, Kyaw Min Thu from South Dagon, and a youngster from North Okkalapa, were also forcibly recruited by the army in late April, according to reports.
"The children were threatened by army recruiters and told that if they didn't join the army they would be sent to prison," said a relative of one of the child soldiers.
Eleven complaints of forced recruitment of child soldiers are currently being investigated by the International Labour Organization in Rangoon, according to ILO liaison officer Stephen Marshall.
"When the investigation is completed, the government has a responsibility to report back to me the findings of its own investigation and the decision it has taken," he told The Irrawaddy.
It's estimated that around 70,000 child soldiers are serving in 727 infantry battalions of the Burma army.
Many of them are victims of a practice enabling veteran soldiers to "buy" their discharge by recruiting new blood for the army.
Nyunt Hlaing (not his real name) is a 48-year-old warrant officer first-class who has served 25 years in the Burmese army. He wants to retire from service, but has been told he must first recruit at least five young men, regardless of their age, or pay a recruitment unit around 600,000 kyat (US $460) to do the job for him.
A source close to No 1 military recruitment unit based in Danyingon, Mingalardon, confirmed that soldiers wishing to retire after serving more than 20 years had first of all to sign up new recruits.
Railroad and bus stations, markets and public places are targeted by the army recruiters and civilian brokers in search of likely young candidates.
"Recruiters force the children to sign a letter confirming that they join the army of their own will and pledge to serve for at least 5 years," one source said.