Child recruitment "An
Affront to Humanity": Sri Lanka's call for zero tolerance commended.
The Permanent Mission of
Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva
21st September 2007
The statement by the Sri Lanka delegation to the Sixth Session of the
Human Rights Council in Geneva on 21st September 2007 at Palais des
Nations in Geneva emphasized the strong commitment of the Government
to eradicate the heinous practice of child recruitment.
Ms Shirani Goonatilleke, Director Legal of the Secretariat for Coordinating
the Peace Process speaking on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka
outlined the steps taken to protect children in armed conflict. (The
full statement is reproduced below).
Ms Radhika Coomaraswamy , Under-Secretary -General, Special Representative
of the Secretary- General for Children and Armed Conflict presented
her report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva today. The report included
her findings from her field visits to countries undergoing conflict
and the findings of her Special Adviser Mr Alan Rock's visit to Sri
Lanka in November 2006. Ms Coomaraswamy stated that with the full cooperation
of the Government he was able to access all areas of the country including
the north and the east in order to ascertain the ground situation.
Ms Coomaraswamy welcomed the statement made by the Sri Lanka delegation
and commended the positive steps taken by the Government. She highlighted
in particular the adoption of zero tolerance in regard to child recruitment,
the commitment in relation to the Security Council Resolution 1612 and
the action taken in setting up a committee to investigate allegations
of complicity against certain elements of the security forces in the
alleged abductions and recruitment of children by the LTTE " break
away" group the Karuna faction.
She said it was unfortunate that the LTTE did not commit to the full
release of children under the age of 18 years and this she noted was
in contravention to applicable national and international law.
STATEMENT BY MS.SHIRANI GOONATILLEKE
OF THE SRI LANKA DELEGATION
UNDER AGENDA ITEM 3 OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
21 SEPTEMBER 2007, GENEVA
Child Recruitment: An Affront to Humanity
Mr President, my delegation would like to thank Ms Radhika Coomaraswamy
for her comprehensive report presented today.
Mr President,
One of the most serious aspects of Sri Lanka's conflict, is the forced
participation of children as soldiers. Recruitment of children is an
absolute affront to humanity. The Government of Sri Lanka strongly condemns
the heinous practice of child recruitment and the tragic abuse of children
that results, when they are used as combatants. The government regards
it as a zero tolerance and non-negotiable issue and is totally committed
to eradicating this scourge and ensuring the protection of all children
affected by the armed conflict.
We welcome the work undertaken by the good office of the Special Representative
of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, in this regard
and reiterate our commitment to continue working in accordance with
the Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant international
laws and UN resolutions, in particular Security Council Resolution 1612
of 2005.
This for the first time, focused on providing a comprehensive framework
to address issues related to the protection of children affected by
armed conflict and rightfully placed high priority on the issue of child
recruitment. Annex II of the Resolution identified the LTTE as a party
in Sri Lanka responsible for the recruitment and abduction of children.
In this respect we urge UN agencies to make clear that there will be
zero tolerance of child recruitment. The recent UNICEF claim that things
have improved because the LTTE no longer recruited under 17s, but what
was termed " legislation" was required to bring policy in
line with international norms, is unacceptable. We beseech the Special
Representative to ensure that UN staff do not compromise on this issue.
Sadly the LTTE and those close to it argues that the issue of child
soldiers is comparatively unimportant and even produce arguments to
suggest that it is acceptable to recruit children over fifteen.:
The LTTE which commenced an armed conflict in Sri Lanka since 1983
has continued child recruitment unabated since then, despite the many
pledges made to the international community that it would cease recruitment.
It has been estimated that between 1983 and 2002 over 60% of the 14,000
strong LTTE fighting force was composed of children. A data base on
known child recruitment was set up in 2002 by UNICEF. However according
to UNICEF, the current figures of over 6,000 in the database are likely
to represent only one third of the actual number, as not all parents
can overcome their fear of the LTTE and report forcible recruitment
of their children. There is recent evidence of massive LTTE recruitment
of children and young persons mostly in the North of the country.
The UNICEF database since 2006 also records, in a tragic twist of fate
further underage recruitment mostly in the eastern province by the "break
away" group of the LTTE, the Karuna faction , some of them former
child recruits. UNICEF verify that 130 children had been recruited between
1/11/06 to 31/5/07 including re-recruitment of 21 children. 38 children
were released during this period. UNICEF states that from the total
of 307 registered on its database, 152 cases of children remain outstanding
as of 31st May 2007.
The Government welcomed the UN Security Council Resolution 1612 and
collaborated with UN entities to set up in July 2006, a Sri Lankan Task
Force to Monitor and Report on child rights violations related to the
conflict.
Following its commitment earlier this year, to the UN Security Council
working group on children and armed conflict that it would adopt necessary
measures to cause an independent and credible investigation into allegations
made against certain sections of the government security forces for
complicity in the abduction and recruitment of children by the "break
away" group of the LTTE, the Karuna faction, the Minister for Human
Rights recently appointed a high level interdisciplinary " committee
to conduct an investigation into such allegations".
The Government has also ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on involvement of children in armed
conflict and has consistently maintained the age for voluntary recruitment
of persons into the Sri Lankan armed forces at 18 years. Under the Penal
Code, the practice of child recruitment is both prohibited and criminalized.
As a follow up to the UN Secretary Generals recommendations in his
report of December 2006, on Children and Armed conflict in Sri Lanka,
a multi disciplinary Task Force on children affected by the armed conflict
was established in April 2007. Issues being addressed include harmonization
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)/Optional Protocol
with national legislation, strengthening education to prevent child
recruitment, promotion of birth registration in conflict areas, the
protection, and rehabilitation of child "surrendees" and strengthening
law enforcement in conflict areas to also ensure the protection of children
in IDP camps.
The government whilst focusing on child recruitment has also reiterated
its commitment to address other problems and needs of children affected
by the conflict and places great emphasis on ensuring that both curative
and preventive health care and free education from the primary to the
tertiary level reaches all children in these areas.
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) has widened its mandate
to include child rights violations. However Lack of resources remains
a barrier and the government is seeking funding to strengthen the capacity
of relevant local institutions such as the Human Rights Commission (HRC)
and the National Commission for the Protection of Children (NCPA established
in 1999). This effort to mobilize funding and resources is in accordance
with the recommendations of the Secretary General in December 2006,
which urged the international community to assist Sri Lanka and support
this work
In furtherance of the Governments on-going commitment to the rehabilitation
and re-integration of child "surrendees" the Government appointed
a Commissioner General of Rehabilitation in September last year. Temporary
facilities have been set up for these children at present and plans
are underway to establish more permanent infrastructures. Currently
programmes are been devised and discussions have been initiated with
key stakeholders and the international community to broaden the scope
of rehabilitation beyond an institutional approach to one which lays
emphasis on education, vocational training, sports and drama. Detailed
proposals have been handed over to countries particularly concerned
with armed groups in the East and the need to provide attractive opportunities
for former combatants. Proposals involve partnerships with NGOs and
the private sector in the forms of the Business for Peace Alliance to
underscore the governments commitment to partnerships for progress.
Sadly due to unavoidable bureaucratic constraints, responses from donor
countries has been slow, but we hope the interest and concern expressed
will translate into helpful actions.
The Government of Sri Lanka calls upon the Office of the Special Representative
and the international community to impress upon the LTTE and its "
break away" Karuna Faction to give priority to implementing the
recommendations made in the 20th December 2006 report of the UN Secretary
General on Children Affected by the Armed Conflict in Sri Lanka and
to cease child recruitment immediately and return child combatants and
young persons to their families so that they can be reintegrated.
Whilst legal frameworks and laws are important and play a paramount
role , they are not enough, unless there is a will to implement actions
on the ground.
Sri Lanka urges the international community to assist in bringing hope
to children who have been deprived any opportunity to live normal lives
for so long and " restore to them a sense of renewed hope".
THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT.
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