Forcibly recruited youth given weapons training at Tiger Chencholai camp

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: Three inmates at the so-called Chencholai 'orphanage' as claimed by the LTTE, injured in the August 14 aerial bombing in Mullaitivu and undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kandy, told Police that it was not an orphanage as claimed by the LTTE but a Tiger camp where hundreds of youth were given weapons training.

Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando told the Daily News last night that the three girls undergoing treatment at the hospital has given details to Police how they were abducted by the LTTE and how they were given weapons training at this so-called orphanage as claimed by the LTTE.

According to the IGP, the three females aged 20, 19 and 18 were Advanced Level students in schools in Mullaitivu and had been forcibly recruited to the LTTE while studying at their schools.

"According to the youth they had been taken there by a person called Maran and were given weapons training at the Chencholai camp," the IGP said.

They had given statements to Police that they were given weapons training at the Chencholai camp when it came under aerial bombing.

"These youth have told Police that the place was not an orphanage," the IGP said.

According to the IGP one youth has already recovered from her injuries and is under Police protection while the other two are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

"The girls had been taken to the Vanni for treatment under ICRC facilitation and later transferred to Kandy in need of further medication," IGP Fernando added.

He said the girls have given all details about the Chencholai camp and the names of the youth undergoing weapons training along with them.

"Police are questioning the girls to get more details of this camp and the location," the IGP added.

The LTTE media machinery tried to expose to the world that Security Forces had bombed a girls' orphanage where hundreds of school students from various schools in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu were undergoing the 10 day first aid training programme.

The Government and Security Forces denied the LTTE's claim and emphasised that it was a military training camp used by the LTTE to train hundreds of youth and the target was taken after compiling enough evidence to prove it was an LTTE military camp.