Twin Crusade - Burma

January 2000We go in search of the baby faced and battle hardened child generals of the Karen guerrillas. Twins Luther and Johnny Htoo stand amidst their child fighters and make faces at the camera. Luther's eyes roll as he sucks on a fat cigarette, Johnny smiles and pokes out his tongue. Last month's hostage crisis in the Thai hospital at Ratchaburi brought the world's attention to the God's Army. These twelve-year-old twins hit the headlines as the masterminds behind this and an earlier hostage incident at the Burmese Embassy. New pictures and footage of the boys provides an eerie glimpse into their crusade. For their dedicated followers they are divinely inspired leaders with the protection of an invisible horde of Karen warriors. "When they were born the sound of crowds was heard... when people went to look there were no footprints," reports Sister Roberts, an American nun who has counselled and watched the boys for the last 3 years. The twins lead with the Bible, reciting their favourite passages as an ideological platform. When in battle they talk like adults and are deeply respected. But just how long can their rag-tag band of 200 youths survive the combined roth of the Thai and Burmese military? We reveal that the twins may have escaped a recent Burmese army assault although their current whereabouts is unknown.

Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: journeymanpictures

Length: 17:34
Rating: 4.67
Views: 33014

Tags: army  Burma  child  crisis  general  God's  guerrillas  hostage  journeyman  Karen  pictures  Ratchaburi  smoking  soldier  twin  

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