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Checking LTTE's child soldier phenomenon

Despite a rising international awareness on the grave harm resulting from the use of children in armed combat or in militarised zones, the LTTE seems to be carrying on nonchalantly with this cruel practice with hardly a care for world opinion. The latest instance of this Tiger excess was reported recently from Trincomalee, where a Dvora attack craft of the Sri Lanka Navy repulsed an onslaught by a LTTE fishing boat. The latter vessel beguiled the naval craft into approaching it by displaying on its deck a child and a white flag. The LTTE boat was destroyed by the Navy.

This is evidence that contrary to its sanctimonious denials, the LTTE is continuing to use children as cannon fodder in its war against the Lankan State. It was only a couple of years back that the Tiger leadership was quoted as telling the UN Special Representative on Children in Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, in Jaffna, that children under seventeen years of age would never be deployed by them in combat and related operations. Contrary to these assurances, it is well known that the Tigers are continuing with the heinous practice of using children in their separatist war. On and off, children are reported among LTTE casualties. Many of them surrender to the Lankan security forces. Sunday's incident off the seas of Trincomalee is fresh proof that children are being brutalised freely by the LTTE.

Institutions such as the National Child Protection Authority, which was set up on the initiative of President Kumaratunga, and the numerous Presidential Task Forces dealing with the negative fallout from the war are evidence of the Government's commitment to protecting the interests of children. The Lankan Government is also party to the relevant UN convention on the protection of children's rights. It is with great paternal care that the State fends for LTTE child soldiers who surrender to it.

This conduct is in complete contrast to that of the LTTE which seems to be intent on brutalising children of the North-East. It is our belief that the international community shouldn't remain content with obtaining mere verbal assurances from the Tigers that they are refraining from using children in their brutal war. We insist instead that the Tiger war machine comes under the close scrutiny of the UN specialised agencies dealing with child welfare so as to put an end to the LTTE's barbaric practice of using children in its war effort.

The LTTE must be constantly monitored by the UN to ensure that the terror group adheres to its humanitarian pledges - its promise on the non-use of children being one of these. Arrangements must also be in place to implement punitive measures against the LTTE, if the latter is found to be violating these pledges. The higher the price the LTTE is called on to pay for these excesses, the lesser will be its tendency to commit them.

• Editorial of  The Observer - 19.9.2001:
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