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LTTE under pressure to cease
recruitment of child soldiers

Refugee International, a group based in New York that monitors organisations dealing with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) worldwide, has said in its latest report that the international community should step up pressure on the LTTE to cease recruitment of child soldiers.

It has stated that if the LTTE wishes to escape the stigma of being a terrorist organisation, one of the most positive moves it can make is to demonstrate that it is not recruiting or utilising child soldiers.

The report further states that the UNICEF programme to demobilise child soldiers should be supported by donors at a level to meet the needs of the programme.

Statistics given by UNICEF officials on the recruitment of child soldiers last year are as follows; January 121, February 37, March 30, April 33, May 38, June 63, July 49, August 82, September 104, October 80 and in November 10.

"These are the figures that have been reported to us, and after the ceasefire agreement was signed, recruitment of child soldiers by the LTTE has decreased. However, in April last year, there was an increase, but from October again there was a decrease," Sureni Abeysekara of UNICEF said.

She further stated that discussions are being held between UNICEF and the LTTE on the release of these children. "We have to make sure that no child is recruited."

According to UNICEF, the number of child soldiers released by the LTTE in 2003 are as follows; January 15, February 20, March 6, April 11, May 4, June 15, July 12, August five, September 6, October 68 and in November, 7.

When The Sunday Leader contacted the Social Welfare Ministry, officials stated, "The Ministry has set up social service offices in the north and east and child soldiers are handed over to their parents as soon as they are released.

"The social officers have been trained and files are being maintained. Child soldiers are looked after by the government for one year after their release and we hope that by this time, they can adjust into their families.

"Children whose parents cannot be traced are given alternative care and put into children's homes, which are not run by the LTTE. Ministry officials are planning to visit these children's homes at the end of this month and see that these homes have no bearing with the LTTE.

"If they do, then the children will be bought to Vavuniya and put into homes there. But we are trying our best to put them into homes in their own areas as we have to be careful that they are not identified as child soldiers."

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