Burma Rebel Group Denies Child Soldier Claims

Source: ABC News

An ethnic rebel group waging a decades-long uprising against Burma's military regime has denied a United Nations report saying it recruited child soldiers.

The Karen National Union (KNU), which has battled the government for 57 years in one of the world's longest-running insurgencies, said it had banned the presence of children under 18 in its ranks in 2003.

"Some parts of the [UN secretary-general's] current report, based on data collected in 2005, is no longer relevant," a KNU statement said.

"Accordingly, the KNU and KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army) are no longer involved in the use of child soldiers and violations of child rights."

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