Child recruitment:

Lanka urges urgent UN action against Tigers

Funds freeze, travel ban, other sanctions recommended:

US: Sri Lanka yesterday urged the Working Group of the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict to take urgent punitive action against the LTTE for its continuous recruitment and use of child soldiers.

Addressing the working Group in New York yesterday, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam called on the UN Security Council to freeze funds and other financial assets or economic resources of LTTE leaders and cadres as a primary measure.

Kariyawasam also urged: a ban the provision of funds, financial assets and economic resources, and a ban on provision of financial or other related services, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of members of the LTTE or its front organizations;

travel restrictions on LTTE leaders, cadres and persons acting on their behalf, to prevent their entry into or transit through the territories of member States;

Denial of access to foreign chanceries to LTTE leaders, cadres and persons acting on their behalf;

Prevention of direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of arms and related material to the LTTE including weapons and ammunition, technical advice, assistance or training related to armed activities or recruitment for such activities;

Prohibition on any trade, commercial and financial transactions with the LTTE and its representatives.

“It is our view that these specific targeted measures that the Working Group may recommend to the Security Council are necessary and justifiable in the light of the LTTE’s continued violation of Resolution 1612, and other human rights and humanitarian norms,” he said.

Such resolute action by the Security Council would no doubt compel the LTTE to mend their ways and prevent them from abusing and exploiting children for armed conflict, he pointed out to the Working Group.

It has been almost a decade since the LTTE gave a public undertaking to cease recruitment and use of children as combatants and release children within its ranks, to the former Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

This commitment, however, was never implemented by the LTTE and the Secretary-General, therefore, has continued to identify the LTTE as a repeated violator. This terrorist group continues recruitment and use of children as combatants, he said.

He reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to zero-tolerance on recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.

He noted that a high-level inter-ministerial Committee to inquire into allegations of abduction and recruitment of children for use in armed conflict was appointed under the chairmanship of Justice Secretary in August 2007.

This Committee has been tasked, among other matters, with initiating inquiries into, and monitoring of investigations into allegations made in connection with the abduction and recruitment of children by the LTTE and the Karuna Faction.

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