United Nations Human Right
Council
Report on Children and Armed Conflict
Secretariat for Coordinating
the Peace Process (SCOPP) 27th September 2007
The Peace Secretariat emphatically welcomes the statement of Radhika
Coomaraswamy, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,
made to the Human Rights council in Geneva on 21st September 2007.
Ms Coomaraswamy emphasized the full cooperation of the government that
was extended to Alan Rock, the Special Adviser she sent to report on
the situation. We appreciate that, though one NGO attempted to cast
doubt on this, Ms Coomaraswamy reiterated the position that the government
facilitated Mr Rock's access to all areas of the country including the
north and east. She also dealt firmly with NGO attempts to justify recruitment
of children over the age of 15, by claiming that 'Most troubling was
Mr Rock's use of the age of 18 when the accepted international law age
is 15'. It is appalling that defenders of the LTTE continue to defend
disgraceful abuse of children, when even the LTTE has at least officially
raised the fence.
In this context we also appreciate that Ms Coomaraswamy specifically
addressed some issues that had earlier concerned the Peace Secretariat.
We had earlier drawn the attention of the UN Coordinator in Colombo
to what might have seemed to the LTTE tolerance by the United Nations
of some of their abhorrent practices. The previous UNICEF representative,
in reporting on a recent visit to Kilinochchi, had mentioned that the
LTTE still had children between 17 and 18 in service and that further
legislation was required to stop this. Though she apologized immediately
for her use of the word 'legislation' and made clear her opposition
to this position, SCOPP was fearful that the UN had not sufficiently
registered the gravity of what was going on, and was not making it clear
that it had zero tolerance for such.
Ms Coomaraswamy in her address made it clear that the LTTE's failure
to 'commit to the full release of children under the age of 18 years'
was 'in contravention to applicable national and international law'.
This emphasized that the United Nations acknowledges that the LTTE is
subject to Sri Lankan national law, which has doubtless always been
its position but has been challenged by documents such as the LTTE's
outrageous account of its own laws which are dependent on the will of
its supreme leader.
In response to the statement of the Sri Lankan delegation, beseeching
the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, to ensure
that UN staff did not compromise on the issue, Ms Coomaraswamy made
clear that there would be zero tolerance of child recruitment.
She also welcomed the steps taken by the Sri Lankan government in setting
up a committee to investigate allegations of complicity by certain elements
of the Sri Lankan forces in the alleged abductions by the Karuna faction,
while her address noted the undertaking of that faction 'to publish
formal policy statements forbidding under-age recruitment and to release
children who may be in their ranks'.
Whilst we welcome her declaration that the LTTE meanwhile 'committed
to better training for their military commanders in relation to recruitment
and instituting a process to discipline those who do not comply', we
trust that all UN staff on the ground will interpret this in terms of
her assertion of the zero tolerance policy.
We believe it essential that the Sri Lankan government and all its
agencies cooperate fully to remedy any deficiencies with respect to
children and armed conflict. We also believe that concerted rehabilitation
programmes are essential, if children and even other youngsters whose
lives have been thus far blighted are given opportunities for a better
life. We urge the international community therefore to assist generously
in the proposals in this regard put forward by the Commissioner General
of Rehabilitation and others genuinely concerned with the plight of
these victims.
Rajiva Wijesinha
Secretary General
Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process
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