1. Freedom for child soldiers in Burma (Myanmar)
Siobhan Spiak, Peace and Conflict Transformation Intern October 15, 2014
Columbans are celebrating some good
news for children in Burma (Myanmar).
On September 25, 109 child soldiers
were released by the Myanmar Army in
an attempt to reform its military ranks
and reputation, as reported by Vatican
Radio. Children are victims of human
trafficking when they are sold or
kidnapped into the military to serve as
child soldiers. This is a modern-day
form of slavery.
But children in Burma still need our help. While this is the largest discharge yet, Bertrand
Bainvel, head of the U.N. Children’s Fund in Myanmar, reports that recruitment
continues, though at a decreased rate, specifically in poor communities who depend on
the income of sons who join the military. Currently, the Obama Administration provides
funding for the military in Myanmar, despite the practice of child soldiers and other
human rights abuses.
Columban missionaries first came to Burma in 1936. They lived with ethnic communities
in the Kachin State until the government forced them to leave in 1979. The people of
Kachin State continue to be greatly impacted by violence and political persecution. In the
2000s Columbans were allowed to return to Kachin State, to care for the sick and assist in
formation of seminarians. By their presence, Columbans bear witness and stand in
solidarity with the people of Kachin in the Diocese of Myitkyina.
Currently, the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach is advocating for the U.S.
government to address human rights abuses in Burma by passing the Burma Human
Rights and Democracy Act (H.R. 4377), which would restrict U.S. military aid to Burma.
We ask that you a contact your Congressional representatives to request their support and
co-sponsorship of H.R. 4377.
Accounts from Forces Watch and Child Soldier International emphasize the vulnerability
of youth who are exposed to exploitation once recruited as child soldiers. Younger
recruits are considerably more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder, to develop
drinking habits harmful to their health, and to be more susceptible to violence when they
Burmese Bishop Francis Daw of the Diocese of Myitkyina
celebrates Mass in the Kachin State.

2. return from war. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds are at a greater risk of being
recruited. Girls and boys are forced to serve on the frontline as fighters, and as porters,
spies, guards, suicide bombers and human shields. They are also required to perform
domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning as well as sexual acts for soldiers.
The military recruitment and targeting of young people and vulnerable groups has been
criticized by the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child. In 2013, the Columbans
signed a petition initiated by Pax Christi to end the enlistment of 15 and 16 year olds in
the UK armed forces. In the U.S., the Conference of Catholic Bishops advocates for
bringing child soldiers home and keeping other children from the grasp of military groups
around the world. Please help us raise community awareness of the dangers inflicted on
child combatants and hold governments to international human rights standards. Together
we can restore human dignity to all of God’s people, especially these vulnerable children.
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Respecting Human Rights through Global Supply Chains
Siobhan Spiak, Peace and Conflict Transformation Intern December 1, 2014
Businesses play a crucial role in protecting human
rights and ending forced labor by identifying,
preventing and eradicating slavery from their supply
chains. The more transparency in the business
supply-chain, the less opportunity for laborers to be
exploited and abused.
On October 24 we moved one step closer to the goal
of world-wide business supply-chain transparency
when China launched new government regulations
for its mining companies operating overseas. This is
a game-changer for people who live in resource-
rich, but economically-poor nations.
China’s economy has a huge appetite for energy and
minerals. China’s foreign direct investment in
natural resources is spilt between Latin America and Africa. The Chinese government
An Andean man in traditional dress in
Pisac, Peru. Photo by Cacophony (CC-
BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)

3. struggles to regulate the behavior of its companies abroad. Violations of international
labor and environmental standards by Chinese companies, particularly in the mining
section, have been uncovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and
Zambia. Corruption and bribery by Chinese mining companies have been documented
throughout Latin America.
In December 2013, Chinese copper mining operations in Zambia were halted by the
government for failing to comply with environmental and labor regulations. And in
March 2014, a Chinese open-pit copper mine in Toromocho, Peru, was shut down after
the country’s environmental regulator found that it was contaminating two lakes. Peru is
the world’s third biggest copper producer.
The new Chinese guidelines encourage mining companies to publish their receipts of
payment to governments—this includes taxes, royalties, and license fees— from every
project they operate as well as documentation of fair operating practices.
The Chinese government also requires mining companies to implement the standards of
the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in order to prevent corruption as
well as provide guidelines for which types of payments and at what levels those payments
should be reported under these standards.
This will allow communities who live near active project sites to have knowledge of how
the money is being handled and where the government is putting those funds to use. This
in turn will put the power of accountability in the hands of the people and provide local
communities the opportunity to ensure that the money going into their government is
coming out in the form of services that provide for its citizens.
Columban Fathers and lay missionaries have witnessed the effects of forced labor in the
communities where they live and serve. In Peru, Columban Father Peter Hughes has
served as the executive secretary of the Department of Justice and Solidarity of the Latin
American Bishops’ Conference (CELAM) to bring Catholic teaching into the sphere of
extractive industries. In the Philippines, Columbans have served as founding members of
the Working Group on Mining, to help indigenous groups organize themselves when
voting on approval of mining projects.
The new guidelines will not only set precedence for China, but could also have a positive
impact on the U.S. as well. While the U.S. has made efforts towards transparency and
accountability with the Dodd-Frank Act (Section 1504), the bill has been delayed on
account of a legal challenge by the American Petroleum Institute (API), an oil lobby

4. group. The API claims that the rules of Section 1504 will put the United States at a
comparable disadvantage against their Chinese rival. Yet with China’s biggest companies
already functioning under the standards of EITI, the API’s argument is proving weak in
comparison.
If the standards set in the Dodd-Frank Act are not implemented, the U.S. risks being
stigmatized with a reputation of secrecy around oil and mining practices that leads to
conflict, corruption, and human abuses. The Columbans applaud China’s efforts and
advocate for U.S. regulators to embrace this new age of transparency.