Dutch colonial army recruited child soldiers

This video says about itself:

Syrian Child Soldier: “I’ve Gotten Used to Killing Soldiers.”

18 September 2014

Lebanese channel LDC TV aired on September 13 a news report about the phenomenon of child soldiers in Syria. The report included an interview with 12-year-old Midyan, who had become a sniper in the ranks of the Syrian opposition after his father was killed in battle.

Translated from NOS TV in the Netherlands:

Dutch East Indies Army recruited child soldiers

Today, 08:36

The Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) during the Second World War recruited at least three child soldiers, according to reports that have been received by the Ministry of Health.

The three former child soldiers have reported to the Ministry for the scheme known as the backpay issue. With this scheme, former soldiers and officers who worked in the Dutch East Indies [the official Dutch colonial name for Indonesia] during the Japanese occupation will receive a fee of 25,000 euros. The scheme was set up because this group during the occupation for 41 months has received no salary.

Unknown

According to De Telegraaf daily the youngest man during the war was seven years old. …

The ministry tells De Telegraaf that there was nothing known until now about the presence of child soldiers in the Dutch East Indies. The NIOD was unaware of child soldiers in Dutch service as well. There are, as the NIOD knew already, cases of young people of around 16 years working for the KNIL.

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