Violence in far south terrifies local children - UN report

The recommendation was in the UN report entitled "Everyday Fears" made by the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) to prevent violence on children in the unrest region.

The report said children in the violence torn deep south suffered anxiety and stress associated with the ongoing threat and anticipation of violence, as well as their own violence experience and their proximity to places of vulnerable to violent attacks, the report said.

 Their everyday experiences include witnessing attacks and other violent incidents associated with injury and death, it said.

 At least 30 children were killed and 92 injured as the result of the unrest in the affected provinces between January 2004 and December 2007.

 Unicef representative Tomoo Hozumi said schools should be designated as peace zone by reducing the presence of arms among parties.

 Military currently set up camps and bunkers in schools to protect them from insurgents' attacks. Many teachers also packed weapons to schools for their own safety.

 Many children of 2,357 responses in the report said their schools are full of terror. "The insurgents come to agitate and threaten us often," said a 10 years old boy from Yala.

 Hundreds of schools in the deep south were under attack since January 2004.

 Hozumi said the idea to have schools as peace zone was possible as happened in many war laden countries in Africa and Latin America when all parties in conflict reached consensus to have contemporary truce at least a day to allow children to have public health service.

 Chulalongkorn University's human right expert Vitit Mantarbhorn said the idea could be materialized as all conflicting parties were aware of child's right. The authorities should reach contact to the elements which influence over the militants to implement the peace zone.

 The law professor also suggested that children should also get legal protection from authorities by not enforcing emergency law, martial law and security law with them.

 Suspected child militants under age of 18 should be arrested and detained for the charge of being security threat under those tough laws, he said. They should be tried in the youth court under youth law, he said.