Orphans' army off to war

WAR TURNS children into orphans; in many places those orphans are forcibly turned into soldiers.

Half a century of conflict between the government in Burma and rebel ethnic minorities has produced its share.

In Burma, 30 boys aged under 16 are part of a 300-strong group of fighters, part of the Karen National Liberation Army battalion at Kaw Long Cho, a camp near the border with Thailand.

A new report from Amnesty International says at least 300,000 children across the world, from Africa and Latin America to south Asia - some of them aged little more than 10 - are serving as soldiers in combat today.