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Tuesday, September 16, 2008 - 5.05 GMT |
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New US law against recruitment of child
soldiers |
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The US Senate’s adoption of the Child
Soldiers Responsibility Act on September 15
will permit the United States to prosecute
foreign military commanders who recruit
child soldiers abroad, Human Rights Watch
said in a statement issued on Monday
(September 15). Earlier on September 8 it
was passed unanimously by the Congress.
The law makes it a federal crime to
knowingly recruit or use soldiers under the
age of 15 and permits the United States to
bring charges under the law against both US
citizens and non-citizens who are in the
United States . The law imposes penalties of
up to 20 years or up to life in prison if
death results, and allows the United States
to deport or deny entry to individuals who
have knowingly recruited children as
soldiers.
Children are currently used in armed
conflicts in at least 17 countries.
Recruiters prey upon children, who are often
the most vulnerable potential recruits and
the most susceptible to threats and
coercion. Child soldiers are used as
combatants, porters, guards and spies, and
for other duties.
The United Nations and many governments
including the United States have condemned
the conscription of children for war by the
LTTE.
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