By Shamindra Ferdinando
Amidst forced conscription of hundreds of children in the east over the past few months particularly after the government and the LTTE suspended hostilities on December 24 last year, some of the captives have managed to escape from their training camps, defence sources said yesterday.

"Six recruits including four girls sought protection at police stations in the east," a security forces spokesman said while adding that another youth arrived at a check point at Kiran about six kms south-west of Valaichenai on Sunday morning. The 19-year-old youth who gave himself up at Kiran had claimed that he was abducted on November 14 after the LTTE accused him of passing information to the security forces. "He had been tortured," the source said adding that the victim had been subjected to a medical check-up by the military. Accusing some Tamils of collaborating with security forces, the LTTE had abducted several persons including a Tamil soldier attached to the Chenkalady Army detachment over the past few weeks. The soldier’s family had informed the ICRC delegation in Batticaloa of the abduction, the military said. However, the ICRC declined to comment on the abduction or whether the soldier’s family was in touch with them over the incident. The missing soldier - a Lance Corporal with the Directorate of Military Intelligence [DMI] was identified as an ex-member of the LTTE.

The sources said that of the six recruits, four gave themselves up at a police post at Bedirekka in the Mahaoya police area on Sunday afternoon. The four girls aged 15, 17, 18 and 26 claimed that they were taken to several LTTE camps over the past few months in the Batticaloa jungles where hundreds were undergoing training.

The ICRC yesterday visited them at the Mahaoya police station, police said.

The ICRC yesterday afternoon confirmed that their delegates visited them at Mahaoya. They were later taken to Batticaloa where authorities were to hand them over to the families.

The remaining two both teenage boys surrendered to police in Muttur approximately 13 kms south of Trincomalee. They have claimed that they were abducted on February 10 by two LTTE cadres who arrived in their village in a three-wheeler.

The escapees have claimed that hundreds of children have been undergoing training in the east. The military said that in the two months over a dozen recruits have escaped their captors and reached security forces positions.

Responding to questions, the sources said that there was no evidence to suggest that the LTTE was engaged in a forcible recruitment campaign in the Wanni.

Meanwhile, the LTTE has ordered a group of fishermen in Vakarai to pay Rs. 3000 each as taxes for their boats, the military said. The LTTE on Sunday seized 15 boats along with a large stock of fish, the military said adding that troops rushed to the scene after hearing of the incident. Seeing the troops, the LTTE had left behind five boats while taking the rest. However the boats were released on the same day.

The owners of the boats have been told that they should donate Rs. 3000 each for their boats before Wednesday [20] or face the consequences.