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| Saturday, 17 April 2004 |
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UNICEF confirms death of two child soldiers UNICEF yesterday confirmed the tragic deaths of two child soldiers in the LTTE fighting that took place in the East last week. The children were 17 and 18 year old girls. Both girls were in Karuna's cadre, but while any child soldiers remain in the LTTE they are also at risk. The families of the two girls are grieving the senseless loss of their young daughters. "In the wake of this tragedy, UNICEF calls on the LTTE to free the remaining child soldiers in the organisation, including those in the North, and to make a commitment not to re-recruit any of the children released in the past week." "I would like to send our condolences to the families of the Children killed in the recent fighting," said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's representative in Sri Lanka. "Children should never be recruited or accepted voluntarily into military organisations. Even now in a time of relative peace in Sri Lanka, children have been sent to the front liens and have died there." On April 13, the LTTE formally released 209 children and UNICEF assisted in reunifying them with their families. Many more children returned home of their own accord. So far, UNICEF has confirmed that 259 children have returned home to their families. But this number could continue to climb as UNICEF and its partners trace the children over the coming weeks. UNICEF is working to register all of the children that have left the LTTE in the past week. This includes handing out leaflets and airing radio announcements to get families to alert UNICEF that their children have come home. UNICEF and its partners will then work to monitor all of the children to ensure that they are kept safe and that any re-recruitment or harassment is reported immediately and rectified. UNICEF said the LTTE must commit itself to not re-recruiting any of the children that have left the organisation in the wake of last week's fighting, and that they continue the process of releasing the children in their ranks. |
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