Child Soldiers - Human Rights Watch

US: Urge Congress to pass the Child Soldier Prevention Act

An estimated 250,000 children, some as young as eight years old, are serving in armed conflict as spies, messengers, and too often, as front-line combatants. Many female child soldiers are forced to serve as sex slaves to military commanders. Human Rights Watch co-founded the International Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and helped lead the campaign for a UN treaty to ban the use of children in armed conflict.

The Child Soldier Prevention Act (S1175) is bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) that would limit US military assistance to governments who use or recruit child soldiers. Of nine governments implicated in the recruitment or use of child soldiers, 8 receive US military assistance. US tax dollars should not be used to support the exploitation of children as soldiers. Moreover, US weapons should not end up in the hands of children. Learn More.

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Dear (recipient name),

In seventeen countries, children are involved in warfare. Many are front-line combatants, while others serve as guards, porters, cooks, or messengers. Girls may be expected not only to fight, but also subject to sexual exploitation. While most child soldiers are in their teens, some are as young as eight years old.

I was deeply troubled to learn that in at least eight countries, the United States is providing military assistance to foreign governments that either recruit and use children in their armed forces, or support militia groups that use child soldiers. Such assistance implicates our own government in this terrible crime.

I urge you to support the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2007 (S1175), bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Durbin and Brownback. This important bill would restrict US military assistance to foreign governments involved in the recruitment or use of child soldiers until the problem is remedied.

This important bill will help ensure that US taxpayer dollars are not used to finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict, and that US weapons do not end up in the hands of children.

Thank you for your consideration.

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