Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Brunei Darussalam
| Publisher | Child Soldiers International |
| Publication Date | 2001 |
| Cite as | Child Soldiers International, Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Brunei Darussalam, 2001, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4988060dc.html [accessed 1 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Mainly covers the period June 1998 to April 2001 as well as including some earlier information.
- Population:
– total: 322,000
– under-18s: 124,000 - Government armed forces:
– active: 5,000
– reserves: 700
– paramilitary: 3,750 - Compulsory recruitment age: no conscription
- Voluntary recruitment age: unknown
- Voting age (government elections): unknown
- Child soldiers: unknown
- CRC-OP-CAC: not signed
- Other treaties ratified: CRC; GC/API+II.
- It is not known if there are under-18s in government armed forces due to insufficient information regarding recruitment age.
GOVERNMENT
National Recruitment Legislation and Practice
There is no conscription in Brunei, and the government has no plans for its introduction.276 However, Article 83 of the 1959 Constitution on State of Emergency states that "when a proclamation of emergency has been made and as long as such proclamation is in force, his Majesty the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan may make any orders whatsoever which he considers desirable in the public interest." Such orders may be made with regard to: Article 83(4)(i) "requiring persons to do work or render services" and Article 83(4)(j) "constituting a special police force."277
Reportedly, only ethnic Malays, who form 67 per cent of the population, are allowed to join the armed forces.278 Women may join but may not serve in combat; the Women's Company was formed in 1981.279
It is reported that there are 945 Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers who are part of the British Army, stationed in Brunei.280
Military Training and Military Schools
There is no available information regarding minimum age of entry into the various military schools in Brunei.281
276 Brett and McCallin op. cit.; Horeman and Stolwijk op. cit.
277 Blaustein and Flanz op. cit.
278 Horeman and Stolwijk op. cit.
279 "RBAF-the nation's sentinel", Borneo Bulletin, 29/5/98; US Department of State, Brunei Country Report on Human Rights Practice for 1998, 26/2/99.
280 "UK Government: Gurkha pensions to double in 2000", M2 Presswire, 24/12/99.
281 See the official web site of the Ministry of Defence, http://www.mindef.gov.bn.
