Security News
Another abductee returns No alliance against LTTE - Anandasangaree and Devananda
Saturday, February 4, 2006, 14:01 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Feb 04, Colombo: Among the main political opponents of the LTTE, TULF leader V. Anandasangaree and EPDP leader Douglas Devananda yesterday dismissed claims that they were in the process of setting up a new alliance to challenge the LTTE.
Issuing separate statements, both leaders stressed there was no plan to set up such an alliance. 'There is not an iota of truth in this,' Mr. Devananda said, adding that he was not in any way involved in a recent bid towards this end.
'I very strongly deny these reports. I admit having met with the leaders of some political parties a number of times, when I felt that certain issues must be discussed with other Tamil parties,' Mr. Anandasangaree said.
'This is necessary because the Tamil Members of Parliament representing the North and East are not expressing their views courageously even on matters of importance. Whenever the TNA Members failed in their duty, I have issued statements after discussing with leaders of some of the other Tamil political parties.'
There has been speculation that all Tamil politicians who oppose the LTTE are planning to set up an alliance.
"The Tamil Members of Parliament representing the North and East are not expressing their views courageously even on matters of importance."
S.Lanka Tigers rule out mid-Feb peace talks
source Sun Feb 5, 2006 12:52 AM ET
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers have rejected government plans for peace talks in Geneva on February 15 because of reported abductions of pro-Tiger aid workers, and want talks in late February instead, a rebel source said on Sunday.
The government said on Friday the talks, seen as vital to stop a rash of violence escalating into a return to a two-decade-old war that has already killed more than 64,000 people, would start in Switzerland on February15 for two days.
"February 15 is completely out," the rebel source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "The Tigers are keen to go to Geneva for talks, but the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) abductions have affected the atmosphere."
"The Tamil people are in a panic and are very upset, so the Tigers cannot meet the government's February 15 talks deadline, and are instead aiming for talks at the end of February," he added, referring to the reported abduction of 10 TRO aid workers that some officials fear is a Tiger propaganda stunt.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) demand that any talks focus on implementation of a ceasefire agreed in 2002, and in particular a clause that stipulates the state must disarm paramilitaries the rebels says are attacking them, and say talks are doomed if the government tries to amend the terms.
Another abductee returns
by Ranga Jayasuriya
Another Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) employee who was among the 10 TRO personnel reportedly adducted by an armed group has returned home. The TRO's version of the abduction saga was contested by the police and the Scandinavian truce monitors.
Ms. Dosini who was among the five TRO personnel said to be abducted on Sunday night returned to her family Friday. She was the third TRO employee to be "released" by the abductors.
TRO spokesman Arjunan Ethirveerasingham told the Sunday Observer that Dosini returned to her family in Chenkalady and TRO was in contact with her.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission chief Hagrup Haukland contested the TRO's version that the alleged abduction of the five TRO employees on Sunday night took place near the Welikanda army camp.
The TRO earlier said the abduction took place 100 meters from the army camp.
"That is not true. we visited the scene of the abduction and it is about 5 to 10 minutes drive from the camp," he said.
Haukland said the TRO lodged complaints on both abductions and the truce monitors interviewed the three returnees and accompanied them to the Batticaloa police to make a statement.
"They said they were abducted," he said referring to the statement by the women.
The TRO spokesman said the two women who went to the Batticaloa police were detained for 22 hours and that they were not allowed to read the statement, but were asked to sign it and that their request for a copy of the statement was turned down.
"We have lodged a complaint at the SLMM and the National Human Rights Commission."Ethirveerasingham said.
The SLMM chief Haukland however rejected the TRO allegation and said the police told him that the women were asked to remain in the police station at night for security reasons.
"They went to Batticaloa police at 5 p.m. and were interviewed till 11. Police told us they were asked to remain in the police station till the morning due to security reasons," he said.
He said he was not aware whether the TRO had complained to the SLMM that the women were not allowed to read their statement before signing it.
Not frightened by threats, says Rajapakse
V.S. Sambandan
"There is nothing to hide in the peace process. The Government is not forcibly bringing about a solution"
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Special programme of national integration launched to build greater amity and trust
President promises transparency in the new peace process
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COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Saturday celebrated its 58th Independence Day with a show of its military hardware and a call by President Mahinda Rajapakse for renewed efforts to build a unified country through a "transparent peace process".
"We should bear well in our minds that if we are to stop the increasing flow of blood through war we should shed more and more sweat in the cause of peace." He announced the launch of a "special programme of national integration this year to build greater amity and trust" among Sri Lankans.
Pointing out that "many efforts made in the past to achieve peace have failed," Mr. Rajapakse said there were lessons to be learnt. "There is, therefore, the need to establish a structure of state to bring about the genuine participation of all sections of our people in development activities and the administration of Government."
Saturday's celebration was held at the island's most popular beachfront ' the Galle Face Green ' described by Mr. Rajapakse as a return of "grandeur and pride" to the venue after 28 years. Compared to the abridged versions during the past, this year's full-scale ceremonials included a sail-past by the navy off Colombo's shore featuring its Fast Attack Craft among others and a fly-past by military helicopters and aircraft from the air force, over the city's sky.
Regiments from the army, navy, air force and the police participated in the march-past, and so did school children representing various regions of the country.
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Minister for Public Administration Sarath Amunugama, political leaders and diplomats witnessed the celebration, which was also telecast nationally.
Promising transparency in the "new peace process," Mr. Rajapakse said "There is nothing to hide in it. We are not preparing to forcibly bring about a solution. We shall not be frightened by threats from any quarter." The aim of the Government was to "bring about a national consensus from a solution brought about by broad and deep discussion."
The Independence Day speech came just ahead of a proposed round of talks between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) later this month in Geneva to discuss implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Mr. Rajapakse said he was "not politically selfish" to claim the benefits of the process of national consensus-building on negotiations with the Tigers. "This success should be shared equally among the Government and all those of the Opposition who participated in this effort," he said.
The consensus efforts could be taken forward "only with a full understanding of the lessons to be drawn from the mistakes of the past," he said, asserting that "this country is one that belongs to all Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and other peoples to whom this is home."
© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu
'International presence no deterrent to child recruitment'
By Namini Wijedasa
The Island
Publication Date : 2006-02-05
A large, post-tsunami international presence in Sri Lanka's east has not significantly helped to protect children from recruitment, Amnesty International said last week, stressing that Sri Lanka is internationally obliged to adopt legal measures to prevent and criminalise the practice.
The international human rights watchdog adds that the escalation in enlistment since 2004 is widely attributed to the LTTE's attempts to make up for cadres they lost due to the Karuna split to regain control of the east and to ready themselves for any potential return to war.
"Many of the recruited children are forcibly abducted by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), while some others do choose to join," AI says in a report released Friday (Feb 3), titled Sri Lanka: A Climate of Fear in the East.
Before the April 2004 split in the LTTE, there had been a real sense among agencies working with children that the Tigers might be prepared to end its practice of child recruitment.
"However, following the split and Karuna's release of an estimated 1,800 child soldiers, there was widespread re-recruitment of these children by the LTTE throughout the rest of 2004," it records.
During the summer of 2005, children were often taken from temple festivals. "It therefore appears that the large international presence following the tsunami has not significantly helped to protect children from recruitment," AI laments.
"In Batticaloa district, parents told Amnesty International that child recruitment by the LTTE is widespread in government-controlled areas and that it is mostly children over 14 years old who are being taken," the report notes.
"Local people and agencies working with children believe that less recruitment is taking place in LTTE-controlled areas, even allowing for the fact that it is more difficult for families living in LTTE areas to report incidents to Unicef or other human rights organisations."
"Parents described how children are being recruited at particular roadside junctions and named the LTTE cadres they believe are responsible," the AI elaborates.
"They also reported that the Karuna group is forcibly recruiting children, although there is little concrete information available on this and people appeared afraid to talk about it."
"Those with teenage children reported being afraid that their children may be recruited by the LTTE and accordingly some had sent children away to live with relatives in other areas or withdrawn their children from school in the hope of preventing recruitment."
In Batticaloa district, local people told Amnesty International delegates that eight children were abducted by the LTTE from Sittandy, Batticaloa on the afternoon of Aug 22, 2005. They also reported that eight children were abducted on the night of Aug 4 and four children were abducted on the morning of Aug 8, from Morakotanchenai, Batticaloa.
"Amnesty International delegates raised the issue of child abduction and recruitment with the police in Batticaloa and asked what measures were being taken to protect children," AI continues.
"Police officials agreed that child recruitment is a serious problem, but rebutted the suggestion that it is taking place in any particular location or that increased police presence in any particular area may help protect children against recruitment."
In Trincomalee district, organisations working with children informed Amnesty International that most recent reports of child recruitment were from Trincomalee town, with fewer reports from LTTE-controlled areas. As in Batticaloa, it was reported that most children being recruited are in their mid to late teens.
Amnesty International delegates spoke to one mother who alleged that her underage son had been recruited by the LTTE in July, 2005.
"Her son had gone to run some errands and then to visit relatives," the report recounts.
"When he did not return the next day his mother realised that he may have been recruited and went to the LTTE-controlled area to inquire about him.
"LTTE officials reportedly told her that her son had voluntarily joined the LTTE forces and had been sent for training. They asked for her address and requested that she sign a blank piece of paper.
"The mother later heard that some other boys who went missing at the same time as her son have since escaped from LTTE forces. She therefore enquired again about her son and an LTTE official told her that her son had also escaped.
"She still does not know the whereabouts of her son and fears that he may be either still with the LTTE or may have been taken into the custody of the security forces following his escape.
"The mother has reported her son's suspected recruitment to the police, Unicef, NHRC and ICRC."
Throughout the east, Amnesty International heard about new village based military training in LTTE-controlled areas, in which all civilians aged 15 to 50 are compelled to participate.
It also heard about a new type of six-month residential military training being run by the LTTE, after which people are allowed to continue their civilian lives, but remain available for military duties.
It is not clear to what extent children are involved in these types of training, but given the history of child recruitment by the LTTE, there are concerns that these may prove further opportunities for child recruitment.
"There is little recourse for families whose children have been recruited," AI laments.
"Complaints directly to the LTTE do not usually produce results and where families report to external agencies, such as Unicef or the SLMM, these agencies can raise the case with the LTTE but are unable to compel the LTTE to release the children."
NGO representatives in Batticaloa told Amnesty International delegates that families are threatened by the LTTE not to report child recruitment and are told "if you report to the internationals you will only see the body of your child".
Faced with such threats and with the inability of agencies to gain release, it is not surprising that many cases of child recruitment go unreported.
The use of children under 15 years of age in armed conflict is prohibited by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Sri Lanka is a state party.
The practice is also classified as a war crime by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, to which Sri Lanka is a state party, prohibits states from compulsorily recruiting children under 18 into their armed forces, and places an obligation on states to take all feasible measures to prevent non-state armed groups from recruiting (including voluntarily) and making use of children under 18 in hostilities.
"Such measures should include the adoption of legal measures to prevent and criminalise such practices," AI emphasises.
"Amnesty International raised concerns about child recruitment with the LTTE," it states.
"In response the LTTE denied that it knowingly recruits children and stated that some children do seek to join the LTTE by disguising their age.
"LTTE officials claimed that once such children come to the notice of the LTTE, they are immediately released and returned to their families.
"This is the answer that the LTTE has consistently given in response to questions about child recruitment.
"However, it is contradicted by the accounts of many parents and the reports of Unicef and other organisations working with children."
