Militant use of children in Sri Lanka

Militant use of children in Sri Lanka has been an internationally recognized problem since the inception of the Sri Lankan civil war in 1983. The primary recruiters of under the age of 18 children are the rebel LTTE movement and the Karuna group (a break-away faction of the LTTE working with Sri Lanka Forces).[1][2][3][4]

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LTTE recruitment

Before 2007 the LTTE was accused of recruiting thousands of children into their ranks. The LTTE has been accused of knowingly recruiting and using child soldiers as front-line troops. Amid international pressure, LTTE announced in July 2003 that it would stop conscripting child soldiers, but both UNICEF and HRW have accused it of reneging on its promises, and of conscripting Tamil children orphaned by the tsunami. LTTE created 'orphanages' for children displaced in the fighting where they underwent indoctrination and recruitment. The Sirasu Puli (Leopard Brigade) was said to be composed entirely of children from these orphanages.[5] UNICEF claimed that LTTE recruited at least 40 children orphaned by the tsunami.[2] However, from the beginning of 2007 LTTE agreed to release all of the recruits under the age of 18.

2007

According to UNICEF, between November 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007, 262 children were recruited by the LTTE; this figure includes 32 children who were rerecruited after being released. This number shows a significant decrease in recruitment as compared to the previous 12-month period, which saw the LTTE recruit 756 children, of whom 97 were rerecruits.[6] The LTTE promised that it would release all of the recruits under the age of 18 before the end of the year. On 18 June 2007, the LTTE released 135 children under the age of 18. On 22 October 2007, UNICEF claimed that at least 506 child recruits (under the age of 18) still remained under the LTTE. UNICEF further noted that there had been a significant drop in recruitment of children by the LTTE.[7] Furthermore, a report released by the LTTE's Child Protection Authority (CPA) in 2008 reported that fewer than 40 child soldiers, under the age of 18, still remained in their forces.[8] In January 2008, the LTTE claimed that they had stopped child recruitment.[9] Despite the LTTE claims the LTTE began increasing forced recruitment of children as the war neared its end recruiting children as young as 11 and threatening to shoot children that retreated. However many managed to run away under fire from the LTTE and according to the UNICEF a total of 594 children aged between 12 and 18 years surrendered to armed forces during the end of the war.[10][11][12]

TMVP Paramilitary Recruitment and State Involvement

More recently, TMVP known as the Karuna Group (A Tamil paramilitary group which supports the Sri Lankan government), has been held responsible for the abduction of children according to UNICEF and Human Rights Watch.[13] Allan Rock, who is a special advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur for Children and Armed Conflict Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, alleged[14] that government forces had forcibly rounded up young Tamil children to fight with Col Karuna's group. Colonel Karuna, while categorically denying any involvement in abducting children, questioned Rock's impartiality, stating that Allan Rock is a former politician with links to the LTTE who had previously helped the LTTE in Canada.[15] Civilians have also complained that the TMVP is continuing to abduct children, including some in their early teens, for use as soldiers.[4] Allan Rock vowed that he had "credible evidence" for the accusations.[14] The government of Sri Lanka and the Government newspaper Daily News asked Mr. Rock to produce substantive proof that Sri Lankan soldiers collaborated in child soldier recruitment.[16] The new report by the United Nations stated that TMVP still recruits children. The UN further noted that children have been abducted in places like Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Sri Lanka.[9]

See also

References
  1. "UNICEF condemns abduction and recruitment of Sri Lankan children by the Karuna group" (Press release). UNICEF. 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  2. "Tsunami orphans swell LTTE ranks". Rediff.com India Limited. 2005-01-26. Archived from the original on September 7, 2005. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  3. "Sri Lankan Rebels Recruiting Child Soldiers" (PDF). Iran Daily. 2005-01-27. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  4. Meo, Nick (2006-09-17). "Tamil Tigers abduct teens to fight". San Francisco Chronicle. p. A17. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  5. "Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Sri Lanka". refworld.org. Child Soldiers International. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  6. Associated Press of Pakistan - Sri Lankan rebels still recruiting child soldiers : UN chief
  7. Sri Lanka: Amnesty International urges LTTE to live up to its pledge to end child recruitment | Amnesty International Archived 2007-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  8. LTTE PS: Status of UNICEF database on underage LTTE members Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Karuna faction recruiting child soldiers in Lanka: UN". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2008-01-31. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07.
  10. "Once a child soldier now an ice-creme truck driver". UNICEF. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  11. "LTTE recruiting more child soldiers, says UNICEF". Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  12. "'I'm only 16. They gave me a rifle. It was heavy. They said we had to go forward. If we came back, they would shoot us'". Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  13. "Sri Lanka: Stop Child Abductions by Karuna Group" (Press release). Human Rights Watch. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  14. "Sri Lanka youth 'seized to fight'". BBC News. 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  15. "Solheim in the pay of Tigers: his house in Norway bought with Tiger money - Col. Karuna". Asian Tribune. 2006-11-27. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  16. Weerasinghe, Asoka (2006-11-23). "Slice your defence whichever way". Daily News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. Archived from the original on 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
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