 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
| << back | |
CFA enters into 2543 days today. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Search |
|
| 'Still' Speaks |
|
| Hero's day Statement |
 |
|
|
Commendable Quote | |
|
|
||||
 Europe which has a total population of 800 million is made up of 45 language based nation states. South Asia which has a total population of one billion, (1000 million) is comprised of four states. Who is preventing and therefore benefiting by limiting new nation-states in South Asia?
 |
||||
|
||||
|
||||
| December HR Release |
| |
LTTE denial on BBC report of 22.01.2004 relating to enrollment of children in the organization.We are deeply concerned about the news item "Liberation Tigers have increased the intake of children into their organization" by the BBC's Colombo correspondent on 22 January 2004.There is no truth in this news item and it is based on unconfirmed information. At a time when there is a two-year-old cease-fire in force, the allegation that the LTTE is continuing intake of children is a malicious propaganda. In this 25-year-old war in the Northeast it is the children who form the vulnerable group that finds life intolerable in the deprivations consequent to the war. It is regrettable however some interested parties are engaged in a mischievous campaign to vilify the LTTE. We have serious concern in the welfare of the children who are the future citizens of our nation. We are in the process of formulating tangible plans to make the war affected children as good citizens of this country with the help of NGOs. The cease-fire agreement is two years old now and this has not brought about any change in the plight the children in the northeast face. Their basic needs are still unfulfilled. Children of the northeast seem to be the most frustrated lot. The economic conditions of the parents in tatters, educational pursuits increasingly becoming difficult and unavailability of any other alternative refuge, children enrol themselves in our organization saying that they have completed 18 years of age. In April 2003 it was decided to identify such children who are below the age of 18 and who do not wish to go back to the families to be put into educational or vocational training centres according to an action plan in collaboration with UNICEF and TRO. The transit center to accommodate these children in the interim was opened in Kilinochchi around October 2003. UNICEF has provided us a list of 1187 up to 02.12.2003. Out of this 328 have completed 18 years of age. To confirm the age UNICEF has provided birth certificates for only 134 cases. Based on information thus provided and after ascertaining the correct age we have released 800 children to the custody of the parents. In a meeting held last week with the UNICEF, the head of the LTTE political wing undertook to take further effective measures to attend to the rest of the complains. During this meeting an action committee of three senior members was appointed to investigate into the truth or otherwise of these allegations. This team has already began its work in identifying the names according to the list and reasonable time is required to accomplish this. The allegation that a ten-year-old boy has been enrolled is not true. The list provided by UNICEF does not contain any such information. The allegation that the transit centre is without any inmates is also untrue. There are more than 10 children in the transit centre now. When we contacted the UNICEF representative on these two allegations we were told such an information was not given by them and expressed shock over it. News of this nature, we believe, are distortions and fabrications maliciously put out to discredit the LTTE and the Tamil people and we are afraid, will only serve as ammunition to the majoritarian racial elements which are bent to discredit the LTTE in the International arena.
23 January 2004
|
|
|
Print this
Email this
more
