The New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch and former Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy have urged Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin "to publicly call on the LTTE to end all recruitment of children in Sri Lanka and to release the children currently in their ranks."

The Human Rights Watch also urged the Canadian premier to call on the Tigers and their rehabilitation front body, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, to end attempts to control relief efforts in Tamil speaking areas and to allow unhindered operation and access by impartial local and international operations.

Children’s Rights Advocacy Director of the HRW, Jo Becker in a letter addressed to the Canadian premier Paul Martin said that Canada had provided refuge to thousands of Tamils fleeing alleged human rights abuses by the Sri Lankan government during the war. "It should also address the Tigers’ on-going recruitment and use of Tamil children as soldiers," Becker said.

In the letter to the Premier, they also mentioned an extensive report published by HRW in November 2004, documenting the widespread recruitment and use of child soldiers by the Tigers. In the report, dozens of former child soldiers described how the Tigers use intimidation and threats to pressure Tamil families in the North and East to provide their sons and daughters for military service.

The letter also urged Canada’s support for basic human rights protections by both the Sri Lankan government and the Tigers as a core component of any future peace process.

In addition to Dr. Axworthy, who serves on the international board of directors for Human Rights Watch, other signitories of the letter included Jasmine Herlt, director of the Human Rights Watch Toronto Committee, and Noah Novogrodsky, advocacy co-chair for the Toronto Committee and the director of the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto Law School.