News

News

LTTE rejects, defies UNICEF stricture
The LTTE is continuing child recruitment while defying and rejecting strictures made by the United Nations Children's Fund. The Sunday Times learns that at last Wednesday's meeting between Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim and LTTE's political wing leader S. P. Thamilselvan, the LTTE had taken strong exception to a recent statement made by the UNICEF.

The LTTE is reported to have taken up the position that the UN agency was unfair in issuing the statement as the LTTE had officially denied that it was continuing with child recruitment. This was contrary to reports that children in large numbers were being recruited in the Wanni including the cleared areas.

The issue about the UNICEF allegations also surfaced during a separate meeting between LTTE representatives and UNICEF officials this week in the Wanni. UNICEF's Colombo spokesman Geoffrey Keele confirmed that they had discussed issues relating to child soldiers with Mr. Solheim and the head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, but declined to elaborate.

He said UNICEF could not comment on the issue unless the LTTE made a direct statement on it to them. The Sunday Times learns that the LTTE has been critical of the UNICEF after it criticised the rebels for not following certain agreed-upon procedures to prevent recruitment of children.

UNICEF Representative Ted Chaiban said the efforts by the LTTE to release some of the child soldiers in April had been completely undermined by the continuous recruitment of new children below 18 years. The UNICEF said that it had received 159 complaints of children being recruited by the LTTE since April.

An LTTE spokesman in Wanni said the meeting with UNICEF officials covered issues relating to the plight of children and the LTTE had explained its position to them. He said the LTTE would make an official statement on the issue by next week.

Top

Back to News