Recruitment of UN employee and family:

UN accuses LTTE

CHAMINDA PERERA

The United Nations yesterday charged the LTTE of forcibly recruiting an UN employee and three of his family members to its fighting force in face of acute shortage of fighters.

The United Nations expressed grave concern about the fate of one of its national staffers and three dependent family members who were forcibly recruited to the LTTE over the weekend inside the No Fire Zone.

According to UN office of the Resident Humanitarian Coordinator, a 16 year old daughter of the staff member has also been forcibly conscripted to the LTTE fighting force.

The accusation came as the UN staffer Sutharshani Thamala along with 13 others who attempted to enter the cleared area on Sunday were shot at by the LTTE. The injured were admitted to the Vavuniya General Hospital.

The United Nations demanded the immediate release of its staffer and family members.

The UN reiterated that the UN staffers and the children in general are protected under national and international law from recruitment by the armed groups.

The LTTE forcibly recruited an UN employee to its fighting cadre last week while another UN staffer was abducted last month. They have not yet been released by the outfit which has been now confined to a narrow stretch of land encircled by the Security Forces.