Zero tolerance policy on child recruitment

COLOMBO: The Government has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy on the recruitment of children as combatants, the Presidential Secretariat stressed yesterday.

In a news release issued on the visit of Ambassador Allan Rock, Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, the Secretariat said Rock brought to the attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa certain allegations of some elements of the Security Forces supporting the abduction and forced recruitment of children by the Karuna faction.

In response, the President said that if there is credible evidence of such incidents he would have them investigated.

Ambassador Rock expressed his appreciation to the President for his response.

Rock met the President having concluded his ten-day mission in Sri Lanka.

He thanked the Government for facilitating his mission, including unhindered access to all areas. During Ambassador Rock's visit to Sri Lanka, the Government provided him with unhindered access to all areas and facilitated meetings with a cross-section of government actors, as a part of its long-standing policy of openness and constructive engagement with UN Human Rights mechanisms.

The Government regrets however that certain conclusions that Ambassador Rock has made in public have led to many distorted media reports, as opposed to the Government's long-standing zero-tolerance policy on the recruitment of children as combatants.