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A
global report on 'Child Soldiers' released on 21st May accused
the LTTE of continuing to recruit and use children for their
terrorist war despite repeated verbal commitments to stop the
practice.
The Global Report, issued by the Coalition to Stop the Use of
Child Soldiers said that the LTTE, which had recruited under-age
fighters for many years, pledged on June 18 2007 to rid its
ranks of all under-18s by the end of 2007.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for
Children and Armed Conflict had earlier reported that although
the LTTE had assured that release of children under the age of
17 would be accelerated it had not committed to the full release
of children under 18.
The LTTE consistently denied that it knowingly recruited
children and it claimed that children sought to join by hiding
their age. However, there is overwhelming evidence of
recruitment, often forced, throughout areas under LTTE control
as well as from Government-controlled areas in the North and
East. The recruitment of children typically followed a pattern
of increased recruitment during the season of temple festivals
and a fall during periods of international condemnation.
As of September 2007 the total number of children known to have
been recruited by the LTTE since January 2002 was well over six
thousand, although the real number is believed to be much
higher.
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