LTTE hunt for children on the rise

The University Teacher for Human Rights - Jaffna (UTHR[J]) in its latest report points out that the LTTE continues with forcible conscription and forcible induction of children for war and abduction of parents whose children escape, to work in forced labour camps. For the past few months, the report says, the LTTE has forcibly conscripted/inducted about 50 children, some in the government-controlled areas.

The LTTE on Saturday within less than 24 hours of opening of a UNICEF-TRO transit home for child combatants abducted about 24 persons including 15 children causing the UNICEF to lose face. The TRO is a notorious terror ally and the UNICEF has drawn fire over having an LTTE front as a partner in the project.

Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority, Prof. Harendra de Silva has gone on record stressing the futility of such projects so long as the LTTE continues to recruit children.

The UNICEF perturbed by Saturday’s abductions, censured the LTTE in a statement released to the media yesterday.

Human rights groups and independent observers say that the real number of children forcibly recruited by the LTTE into its fighting units could be many more than the numbers reported. Many cases in LTTE-held areas, where information gathering is a near impossibility, go unreported as parents for fear of safety of other children and themselves refrain from making complaints.

The cases of abductions of children and their parents reported by the UTHR(J) are as follows:

Cases of conscription and forcible induction of Children LTTE-Controlled hinterland of Mutur:

* The following are members of the Auxiliary Force founded in May 2003, carrying weapons while on patrolling and sentry duties

1. Dinesh (13 years) - Year 8 at school

2. Kalvayan (13 ) - Year 8

3. Ruban (14) - Year 9

4. Dharshan (14) - Year 9

* The following children of persons in the LTTE are regularly seen with guns and have been virtually absorbed into the organisation

1. Kandappan’s son (12 or 13 years)

2. Nandan’s son (13)

3. Prasad (13)

Batticaloa District:

* The following minors have been conscripted into the LTTE

1. Miss Chitra Kanapathipillai (13 years): Conscripted from home in Karadian Aru to replace escaped elder sister in early July 2003

2. Patkunam Prabhakaran (age 16), Grade 11 student of Peththalai School, Valaichchenai, was abducted by Maheswaran and Sinnavan of the LTTE on 21st July 2003. His mother Nagamuthu Jeevarani made a complaint to the Kalkudah Police

3. Daniel Yogeswaran (age 16) of Thompuhar Veethy, Eravur 4, was abducted by the LTTE from the temple festival at Sittandy on 9 September about 10.00 PM

4. Kandasamy Kumar (age 14): Conscripted on 20 September 2003 while watching a dramatic performance at Nahammal Temple in Pasikkudah

5. Kanagasooriyam Nithyanantham (16) of Nellikkadu, Palaydivaddai, Mandur, was abducted on 2, October

* The following were abducted from Thurainilavanai on 20th September by Senthamilan of the LTTE and were released upon the intervention of the SLMM:

1 Sivalingam Sanjith (14)

2 Senathy Sri Krishna (15)

The following were among the schoolboys abducted from Valaichchenai and environs by Thoathiran and others of the LTTE over the weekend of 4 - 5 October, and whom the LTTE promised to release after the public protest:

1 Kauthan Satheeshkumar (12), Nagammal School, Paasi Kudah

2 V. Pratheepan (13 or 14), Valaichenai Hindu College

3 Nallathamby Kanthan (14), Nagammal School, Paasi Kudah

4 Peethamparam’s son (14 or 15) of Puthukudiyiruppu, Valachenai Hindu College

5 Kamalanathan Parani (15) of Union Colony, Valaichenai Hindu College

6 Konalingam Satheesh (16), Puthukudiyiruppu,

7 Roshan Micheal (16 or 17), of Paper Corporation Quarters, VHC

8 Atputharasa, Prasath (17 or 18) of Pethaalai, VHC

9 Nadarajah Gajayanthan (17) of Puthukudiyiruppu, Valaichenai Hindu College

10 Vallimani Sivakumar (16 or 17), VHC

11 Yohanathan Kamalanathan (17), VHC

Amparai District

* The following are a sample of very young children from the district who were recently abducted by the LTTE, trained for between 2 days to two weeks and then released, some being warned that they will be needed when called

1 Miss Kumuthini (13 years), Year 8: Given 4 days training by the LTTE and released

2 Miss Kalaivani (13), Year 7: Given 3 days training by the LTTE and released

3 Mas. Sasi (14) : Given 2 days training by the LTTE, which released him when the parents went and asked for him.

4 Mas Alec (15) : Given 4 days training, then brought back by the parents.

5 Miss Saranya (14), Year 9 : Under training. The parents went and asked for her. The LTTE promised to release her at the end of about 2 weeks.

* The following were conscripted as inducted

Akkaraipattu: Among 31 conscripted 21 - 23 August, were A Level studentstaken from a tutory:

1 Jeyaseelan Jason (17)

2 Thambirajah Sivachandran (17)

3 Veeramunai

The following were abducted on 24, August

4 Thamotheram Tharan (O. Level, 14-16)

5 Krishnapillai Ruban (O. Level, 14-16)

6 Viswalingam Jesudas (A. Level, 16-18)

7 Tharmalingam Sivasuthan (A. Level, 16-18)

Jaffna:

1 Miss Jenitha (16), taken from Bankshall Street on 2nd May

2 Miss Jeyanthi Prem (17), taken from Kavyankadu on 25th July

3 Manivannan Jeyajothi (age 14-16): A native of Dutch Road, Chavakachcheri, was abducted by the LTTE and taken to the Vanni during August

4 Lakshmanan Bhaskaran (14), taken from Araly, Vaddukkottai, 21, August

5 Sasikaran (16), taken from Mirusuvil, Thenmaratchy, on 1 September

6 Ravi Rajkumar, taken from E12 Gurunagar Flats, 5 September

7 Mas. Satheesh (17) was abducted from a tutory in Pandaitharippu Road, Sandilipay, Jaffna, on 17 September.

EPDP News of 24 September reported the following cases of children taken by the LTTE and stated that the parents were keeping vigil at the Muhamalai exit point from Jaffna:

8 Mahendralingam Vijidharan (age 17) of Hospital Road, Chankanai

9 Balasamy Eesan (age 17) of Sudumalai, Manipay

10 Miss Sanjika Sivarajah (age 16) of Allarai

11 Arulampalam Prabhakaran (age 17) of Chettiar Kuruchchi, Pandataripu.

Vavuniya:

1 Miss Vimaladarshini Sivanathan (age 10): According to EPDP News of 8 August: The parents of Vimaladharshini, who had been living in the Poonthottam Welfare Centre in Vavuniya have complained to the Police that their daughter who went to Maharambaikulam on 28.07.2003 for a bath had not returned to the Welfare Centre. The parents also made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission. It is reliably learnt that the girl has been abducted by the LTTE.

Our attempts to get more information have been of no avail so far. The event itself is not unusual (see next case) except that there have been few known cases of conscription in that age group during this period. But that is of little significance.

2 Miss Kavitha Suppiah (16) was abducted by the LTTE from Unit 2 Poonthottam refugee camp on 1 August.

Mas. Vijayasanthan Ramanathan (16) was abducted from Thaali Kulam, Vavuniya, where his father is the principal of the local school, on 21 Aug. 2003.

3 Kavirajnathan Upendran (age 14) of 15/4, Srinagar and Ravindran Sashi (age 14) of 86, Srinagar: According to the EPDP News of 3 October, these two youths, both students of Rambaikulam Vidyalayam, in the Vavuniya Poonthottam area, were abducted by the LTTE on 27 September

Persons detained in forced labour camps on account of their escaped children:

1. Theivanayagam (50), Kinniyady, Paper Factory pensioner, abducted by the LTTE on 15 August 2003.

2. Manoharan Yogan (40), Fisherman, Kinniyady, Valaichenai abducted on 15 August 2003.

3. Sellathamby Sithiravel (43), Grocery Shop owner, wife nurse in Batticaloa hospital, Kinniyady, Valaichchenai, abducted on 15 August 2003.

4. Nalliah Ratnasingham (58), Paper Factory pensioner, Pilliayar Kovil Street, Valaichchenai, abducted on 15, August 2003.

Murugesu Suntharalingam (48), farmer, Sungankerni, Valaichenai, abducted 15th August 2003.