{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='13 years on - the story of the child soldiers who fought in God\u0026#39;s Army' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c476d8eafeecae168fa2' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c476d8eafeecae168fa2' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\n13 years on - the story of the child soldiers who fought in God\u0026#39;s Army\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eThey were icons for the new millennium: tiny 12 year old twins with assault rifles and their own ethnic guerrilla force called \"God's Army\" waging war from the Myanmar jungle. But 13 years on from the media frenzy, whatever happened to...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eThey were icons for the new millennium: tiny 12 year old twins with assault rifles and their own ethnic guerrilla force called \"God's Army\" waging war from the Myanmar jungle. \u003cbr/\u003eBut 13 years on from the media frenzy, whatever happened to Johnny and Luther Htoo, the cheroot-smoking warrior mystics whose weapons were almost as big as they were?\u003cbr/\u003eIn the Thai-Myanmar border zone they pass unnoticed; just two ordinary young men. The guns, the fighters, the talk of magical powers, are long gone. \u003cbr/\u003eThe only obvious vestige of their once extraordinary lives is the chain-smoking. \u003cbr/\u003eGod's Army were Christian soldiers, about 200 strong. There were an off-shoot of the ethnic Karen force that's been fighting for autonomy from Myanmar for decades. 12 year-old Johnny and Luther Htoo were its leaders. \u003cbr/\u003eAs the world approached the millennium these images of the twins caused a sensation. There are child soldiers in many parts of the world, but child generals?\u003cbr/\u003eLuther was keen to show his military skills. Their followers believed they were divine, had spirit soldiers at their beck and call and were impervious to bullets. \u003cbr/\u003eThey got command after leading a counter-attack against an army assault. They went on to win many skirmishes in the dense forests. Those were the stories and today they still insist they are true. \u003cbr/\u003eIt seemed a tragic story of childhood lost in madness, the strangest of upbringings, but the brothers say it was all about survival.\u003cbr/\u003e\"It wasn't strange �\" says Luther, \"�there was nothing else we could do so we had to grab the rifles and fight. If we hadn't fought we would be dead.\"\u003cbr/\u003eThe God's Army story ended with a siege at a Thai hospital. An armed group they were sheltering crossed the border and seized it at gunpoint. \u003cbr/\u003eThey wanted to bring doctors to the village which was under bombardment. Thai forces shot dead all the besiegers then blasted the God's Army base with artillery. \u003cbr/\u003eThe guerrillas fled and hid. A year later, tired and hungry, the twins surrendered to the Thai military. From figures of mystique they became just two more refugees.\u003cbr/\u003eSince then their lives have taken very different turns.  Now 25 years old, Johnny seems stuck in time. He's still a refugee and still in a camp. \u003cbr/\u003eBut Luther moved to Sweden in 2009. He married and had a child but is now separated. He is a confident man, restless to succeed; still very much a leader. And though the weather came as a shock he's grasping the chances Sweden has given him.\u003cbr/\u003e\"There's no one shooting at each other and no one hurting each other. There's peace there,\" he says.\u003cbr/\u003eIn some ways Johnny seems as young as he was when he loaded bullets like he was playing with toys. He is still physically very small and painfully shy.  He yearns for his parents who now live in New Zealand. \u003cbr/\u003e\"I don't expect much from my life,\" he says in halting Thai. \"I want to be with my mother and father. I want to live together with them.\"\u003cbr/\u003eNew lives perhaps, but for Luther, at least, the ghosts of the past still haunt. On a recent visit to Bangkok he met with the Thai Lawyers Association. In the aftermath of God's Army's disintegration 55 men went missing, never to be seen again. Luther wants help tracing them and handed over a list of their names.  \u003cbr/\u003e\"I don't miss the fighting part, because we didn't like to fight with anyone,\" he says. \"What we miss are our friends who died. We miss them.\"\u003cbr/\u003eTheir meetings are rare now. This was Luther's first trip to Asia for 4 years.  No matter; in the minds of many they will always be remembered together - two lost boys at the centre of an apocalyptic tale.\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eSangkhlaburi, Thailand, 25th September 2013\u003cbr/\u003e1. Wide of Luther (in black T-shirt) and Johnny Htoo getting off motorbike and walking past camera.\u003cbr/\u003e2. Wide of the twins smoking outside restaurant.\u003cbr/\u003e3. Close of Johnny smoking.\u003cbr/\u003e4. Close of Luther smoking.\u003cbr/\u003eAP File ++4:3 pillarboxed++\u003cbr/\u003eKa Mar Pa Lor village, Karen State, Myanmar, December 1999\u003cbr/\u003e5. Wide then pan of a line-up of a few soldiers of God's Army\u003cbr/\u003e6. Mid of Johnny Htoo in line-up. He was 12 years old at the time and reputedly the co-leader with Luther.\u003cbr/\u003e7. Wide of Johnny with gun, in line-up talking to adult.\u003cbr/\u003e8. Close of Luther smoking cheroot and staring defiantly into camera. He spits. Shot pans to Johhny.\u003cbr/\u003e9. Mid of Luther firing M-16 rifle. \u003cbr/\u003e10. Close child soldier\u003cbr/\u003e11. Wide of Luther firing M-16 rifle. \u003cbr/\u003e12. Other children from the army gleefully drag back what he hit: a tree branch.\u003cbr/\u003e13. Mid of Johnny smoking.\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television  \u003cbr/\u003eSangkhlaburi, 25 September 2013\u003cbr/\u003e14. The twins walk down hill past camera.\u003cbr/\u003e15. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Luther Htoo, Former leader of God's Army\u003cbr/\u003e\"It wasn't strange, because had we lived peacefully, we wouldn't have had to grab the rifles to fight anyone, but it was because we couldn't live, so we had to grab the guns and fight for our lives. There was nothing else we could do, so we had to grab the rifles and fight. If we hadn't fought we would be dead.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAP File \u003cbr/\u003eRatchaburi, Thailand, January 24, 2000 ++4:3 pillarboxed++\u003cbr/\u003e16. Freed hostage being helped onto stretcher during hospital siege by Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors,\u003cbr/\u003e17. Various woman being led from hospital building to ambulance ++night shots++\u003cbr/\u003eAP File\u003cbr/\u003eRatchaburi Province, January 2001\u003cbr/\u003e18. Various of Johhny and Luther after they surrendered to Thai authorities.\u003cbr/\u003e19. Mid soldiers\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eSangkhlaburi, Thailand 25th September 2013\u003cbr/\u003e20. Wide of the twins eating at a restaurant.\u003cbr/\u003e21. Close of Johnny eating.\u003cbr/\u003e22. Close of Luther eating.\u003cbr/\u003e23. Wide of the twins eating and drinking beer. \u003cbr/\u003e24. Close of food on plate.\u003cbr/\u003e25. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Luther Htoo, Former Leader of God's Army:\u003cbr/\u003e\"I like Sweden, but it's very cold and there's a lot of snow. But I like it because the country is peaceful. There's no one shooting at each other and no one hurting each other. There's peace there.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAP File ++4:3 pillarboxed++\u003cbr/\u003eKa Mar Pa Lor village, Karen State, Myanmar, December 1999\u003cbr/\u003e26. Wide of Johnny Htoo, at 12 years old, with a rifle and ammunition, along with other child soldiers of God's Army.\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eSangkhlaburi, Thailand 25th September 2013\u003cbr/\u003e27. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Johnny Htoo, Former leader of God's Army:\u003cbr/\u003e\"\"I don't know about the future, but I don't expect much from my life. I'm not too worried about it\" \u003cbr/\u003eReporter question: Do you want to get a job? You want to have kids? You want to have a family? \u003cbr/\u003eHtoo: \"I want to be with my family. I want to be with my mother and father. I want to live together with them.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eBangkok, 4th October 2013\u003cbr/\u003e28. Wide of Luther at a meeting with Thai Lawyers Association in Bangkok\u003cbr/\u003e29. Mid of Luther talking in meeting.\u003cbr/\u003e30. Mid of photographers.\u003cbr/\u003e31. Wide of Luther posing with lawyers and the list of names of the missing.\u003cbr/\u003e32. Close of list of names.\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eSangkhlaburi, Thailand 25th September 2013\u003cbr/\u003e33. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Luther Htoo, Former Leader of God's Army:\u003cbr/\u003e\"I don't miss the fighting part, because we didn't like to fight with anyone, but we miss going to school and miss the times when we were still young and played around. That part we missed. But as for the fighting part what we miss are our friends who died. We miss them.\"\u003cbr/\u003e34. 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