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LTTE hands over child recruits

By Amantha Perera and Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema 

The LTTE last week handed over a batch of under-aged recruits in Batticaloa to UNICEF amidst criticism that it was still continuing to recruit children.

Since the Wanni command was able to wrest control of the east from renegade Karuna in April, the SLMM, UNICEF and UNHCR have accused the Tigers of child recruitment and forcible recruitment of youth to replenish the ranks depleted by cadres who fled or were sent home by Karuna.

On August 5, the LTTE handed over 24 children to UNICEF at Tennaham in Kokkadicholai in Batticaloa. Sources with detailed knowledge of the recruitments said the children appear to be among the latest abuductees during festivals at temples in Batticaloa. Two weeks back the LTTE handed over 34 children to UNICEF in Kilinochchi. In April the Tigers released 269 children. According to UNICEF, 1,300 children were sent home by Karuna when he fled.

In June 2003, the LTTE and the government agreed on a plan to rehabilitate child soldiers with the help of UNICEF. Since the commencement of the initiative, UNICEF said that 998 children had been released until April 2004. However, UNICEF has continued to accuse the LTTE of continuing to recruit children.

In the east the SLMM received 22 complaints of child recruitment for May, the numbers were 36 and 25 for June and July respectively. During the first four days of August five complaints were made.

From April to June, UNICEF had received 159 reports of child recruitment from all over the north and east. UNICEF said that most of the abductions were taking place in the north.

The rise in the incidents of abductions in the east coincides with temple festivals.

"We have received complaints about the recruitments at festivals, and we are concerned. But we are investigating whether recruitment is really taking place and whether these are underaged recruits," UNICEF's Communications Officer in Colombo, Geoffery Keele told The Sunday Leader before the latest handing over took place last week.

The LTTE said that they checked the birth certificates of the children and handed them to UNICEF once it was clear that they were underage. The LTTE political wing in Batticaloa has appeared to be frustrated with the continuous allegations of child recruitment and its seemingly ineffectiveness to prevent them. Batticaloa Political Wing Head, Kaushalyan was present when the latest hand-over took place as was UNICEF Batticaloa Head, Andrea James.

LTTE cadres operating under Ramnam, a new military wing leader who has grown in influence since April have been blamed by many parents and relatives for the abductions. Ramnam has so far not met any representative from the SLMM.

Despite cooperating with UNICEF on the rehabilitation project, the LTTE is yet to officially announce that it would not accept anyone under 18 into its units.

Meanwhile, Army commander Lt Gen. Shantha Kottegoda told The Sunday Leader that despite denials by the Tigers, it was now proved that there were child soldiers within Tiger ranks as the handing-overs attest to.

He said that the army suspected that there are more child soldiers still left among the LTTE cadres. The Army Commander also said that the latest voluntary recruitment drives by the Tigers has not been successful, adding that abductions too have decreased.

  Headlines