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Summary: The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers welcomes the recent European Union (EU) agreement that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegations will no longer be received in EU member states. It calls on the LTTE to halt all recruitment of under-18s and to demobilize all children in its ranks.
 Coalition welcomes EU travel ban, calls on Tamil Tigers to halt military recruitment of children  [LONDON, 3 October 2005] - The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers welcomes the recent European Union (EU) agreement that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegations will no longer be received in EU member states. It calls on the LTTE to halt all recruitment of under-18s and to demobilise all children in its ranks. The EU decision was made in the wake of EU condemnation of the killing of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, along with many other killings in recent weeks. The EU statement emphasises its concern at the continuing recruitment and retention of children by the LTTE, a practice it describes as "abhorrent". LTTE political head S.P. Tamilselvan reiterated the organisation’s position that it does not recruit under-18s, following the EU statement. "LTTE denials are belied by consistent evidence of abductions of children for military training. Child recruitment has increased since June 2005 and is ongoing" said Casey Kelso, the Coalition’s international director. Many organisations, including UNICEF, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and others, have documented both forced and voluntary recruitment of children for military purposes in 2005. A lull in recruitment following the December 2004 tsunami was noted by the Coalition as an encouraging development. This trend reversed as detailed information on numerous cases of recruitment during temple festivals was received by the Coalition in June. UNICEF reported a sharp increase in the numbers of children recruited in July. Recent information suggests that children are often being abducted while on the way to school in government-controlled areas. Children abducted by the LTTE are frequently forced into vehicles and taken to military camps where they are not allowed to contact their families for many months. Families and children themselves have described how distressing this experience is. Many, however, are afraid to speak out against the practice. The LTTE has formally released more than 1400 child soldiers to UNICEF since signing an agreement with the Sri Lanka government in 2003. Other child recruits have been released directly to parents or to the LTTE’s North Eastern Secretariat on Human Rights. However, as of 31 August UNICEF had 1277 outstanding cases of child recruitment. While some of the children may have returned home, many others are thought to remain in military camps run by the LTTE. The recruitment of any child under the age of 18 for military purposes – whether enforced or voluntary – is contrary to international human rights norms which are based on recognition of children’s special needs and vulnerabilities. The recruitment of children under the age of 15 is defined as a war crime by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. These obligations exist independently of any peace process. "The demobilisation process needs to be transparent and independently verifiable" said Mr Kelso. "If bodies such as UNICEF and other independent organisations are involved, this would send a clear message that children’s rights are respected by the LTTE and serve as a confidence-building measure in the broader context of the peace process". For further information contact: /end
Casey Kelso, Director, +44 (0) 7713 2777; +44 (0) 7900 892 552