The Honorable _________

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Congressman/Congresswoman _______________,

I am writing to thank you for the Congressional vote in support of ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically on the Optional Protocol on involvement of children in armed conflict.

At the same time, I must urge you to speak out against the egregious violations of this specific treaty and several other human rights and humanitarian laws which this administration is perpetrating.

While the three youngest children were finally released, an additional seven juveniles under the age of 18 remain jailed at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo. They are imprisoned together with adults and are equally held without charge, hearing or trial, without access to lawyers, relatives or the courts. The Geneva Conventions state clearly, specifically Art. 77 of API, children are to be afforded special protection �whether or not they are prisoners of war.�

Children are vulnerable; these children are particularly vulnerable. The vast majority of these children were kidnapped into terrorism, a detriment to their development and a gross violation of their rights. Further detaining and isolating them indefinitely will only serve to make successful rehabilitation and social reintegration more difficult. It is imperative these children�s cases be resolved expeditiously, they be brought before a competent and fair tribunal or released and repatriated as soon as possible.

Below are mentioned just two of the instruments this administration has signed onto and seemingly has chosen to forget about:

1.)    �States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons within their jurisdiction recruited or used in hostilities contrary to the present Protocol are demobilized or otherwise released from service. States Parties shall, when necessary, accord to such persons all appropriate assistance for their physical and psychological recovery and their social reintegration.� Article 6, paragraph 3 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts- children defined as persons under the age of eighteen

2.)    All States affirm, �any measure taken to combat terrorism complies with obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.� UN resolution pertaining to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, adopted Dec. 2002

I urge you to confront the administration on these issues and demonstrate that not every legislator in the U.S. is comfortable with ignoring those stated principles and not complying with the intricate net of humanitarian and human rights laws, designed to afford children special protection. Please, speak out and leave no child behind- most definitely not in Guantanamo's prisons!

I look forward to your response. Thank you!

Respectfully,

__________________
(your name)
__________________
(address)