"MY GUN WAS AS TALL AS ME" - Child Soldiers in Burma

It appears from the report that Human Rights Watch have published that the military regime in Burma is having trouble recruiting soldiers - so they abduct children as young as ten years old.
http://hrw.org/reports/2002/burma/

War lords in the Democratic Republic of Congo are appearing before the International Criminal Court in The Hague for recruiting child soldiers. Let us hope for consistency in justice.

If you didn't notice, that boy in the picture is carrying an American M16 assault rifle. Please explain that to me!