UN Representative's comments misleading

COLOMBO: The Security Forces yesterday categorically rejected allegations that they were involved in child abductions in the East.

Senior military officers said the statement to this effect by Allan Rock, Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on Sri Lanka was completely misleading. His allegation that "certain elements of the Government Security Forces were sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children in the Eastern Batticaloa district while supporting the LTTE Karuna faction" was completely false, they said.

Likewise, Rock's conclusions based on "eye-witness evidence" that the "Government Security Forces are actively involved in these criminal acts" deserve a deep sense of revulsion and explanation in view of their serious nature and repercussions.

They said the UN Mission by innuendo has gone the extra mile to blame the troops deployed in Government controlled areas of Batticaloa to contain LTTE violence and defend human rights in the region.

They dismissed the claim that 135 cases of underage recruitment by the "so-called Karuna faction" occurred in Government controlled areas.

"This infers that it was the Security Forces who are responsible for such acts. This is a complete distortion."

The military vehemently denied having any involvement whatsoever with the LTTE breakaway group for abductions in Batticaloa, as alleged by the Mission.