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Press Release

SRI LANKAN CHILDREN IN CRISIS

Underage Recruitment Continues As More = Children Drop=20 Out of School

Statement Attributable to Carol Bellamy, = Executive Director=20 of UNICEF

Recent=20 press releases and statements on child=20 soldiers
GENEVA=20 / NEW YORK, 20 July 2001 - The United Nations Children's Fund = today urges=20 the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to live up to its = commitment=20 not to recruit children into its ranks, and urges the Government = of Sri=20 Lanka to ease restrictions on humanitarian activity and address = the=20 critical shortage of teachers in conflict-affected areas.

In Sri Lanka, one of the world's longest running armed = conflicts=20 continues to cause immense suffering and violations of children's = rights.=20 After 18 years of continuous strife, a generation of young people = across=20 the country has been robbed of a normal childhood. And tragically, = conditions for children are worsening.

During a visit to Sri Lanka in 1998, the Secretary-General's = Special=20 Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, = obtained=20 assurances from both the Government and the LTTE that gave hope = for an=20 improvement in the situation of children. In the ensuing three = years,=20 despite occasional positive signs, the overall situation of = children has=20 continued to deteriorate.

More = on
Children in=20 War

Recruitment Goes On

One of the most serious violations of children's rights in Sri = Lanka is=20 the continued recruitment of children by the LTTE, despite its = promises to=20 end this practice. In the years since Mr Otunnu's visit, the UN = has=20 observed increasing recruitment activity in and near schools and = has=20 received an increasing number of complaints from parents. Recent = reports=20 indicate some children are recruited even as young as 12. The UN = has=20 intervened with the LTTE several times, but so far with little = result.=20

On a visit to northern Sri Lanka in February 2001, UNICEF = Deputy=20 Executive Director Andre Roberfroid met senior representatives of = the LTTE=20 to express the UN's growing concerns. The LTTE confirmed its = earlier=20 commitments and agreed to implement additional measures proposed = by the=20 UN, which included widely publicising the minimum age for = recruitment, not=20 conducting any recruitment in or near schools, investigating all = reported=20 cases of children who have been recruited, and releasing those = under the=20 age of 17 years. The LTTE also undertook to allow the UN to = systematically=20 monitor compliance with these measures, including access to school = attendance records by UNICEF and UNHCR staff to identify absent = children.=20

Children Dropping Out

A second problem highlighted by Mr. Roberfroid was the = increasing=20 number of children dropping out of school. This is largely due to = an acute=20 shortage of trained teachers (resulting in an excessive reliance = on=20 untrained volunteer teachers) and the need for children to help = their=20 parents supplement family income. Even more worrying is the = growing=20 disillusion with education as a way to a better future.

Basic education is the right of every child, and also a = deterrent to=20 child recruitment. UNICEF therefore obtained agreement from the = LTTE not=20 to obstruct a nationwide Government campaign, supported by UNICEF, = to=20 identify children out of school and to help communities find local = solutions to get them back to the classroom. Under this programme, = where=20 there is a possibility that a missing child might have been = recruited, the=20 UN asks the LTTE to investigate and, if true, to release the = child. UNICEF=20 has offered to provide additional resources for schools and for = upgrading=20 the skills of volunteer teachers if the LTTE follows through on = these=20 commitments.

During his February visit, Mr. Roberfroid also appealed to the=20 Government to streamline humanitarian access so that child-related = activities can take place in LTTE-controlled areas as they do in = all other=20 areas of the country. He also urged the Government to provide = training for=20 volunteer teachers and recognise their work, and to facilitate the = work=20 and security of UN staff in these areas. UNICEF has also been = urging the=20 Government to vacate schools currently occupied by its security = forces.=20

All Parties Must Act

Despite one or two encouraging signs, there has been little=20 demonstrable progress on any of these problems, and UNICEF calls = for a=20 much more vigorous and transparent response than has been shown = thus far.=20

Specifically, UNICEF calls on the LTTE to adhere to all = commitments=20 made concerning recruitment, and to go even further by adhering to = the=20 Optional Protocol to the CRC that prohibits recruitment under the = age of=20 18 years. UNICEF calls on the Government to take urgent steps to=20 liberalise the current constraints to humanitarian access, to = resolve the=20 acute teacher shortage in the areas worst affected by the conflict = and to=20 remove military presence from schools. UNICEF also urges all Sri = Lankans=20 abroad who have influence on the situation in their country of = origin to=20 express their support for all measures to eradicate the twin = issues of=20 recruitment and school drop-out.

Replace Despair with Hope

Being recruited and dropping out of school are just two of the = many=20 ways children are affected by Sri Lanka's protracted conflict. = Growing up=20 displaced and in a heavily militarised environment both lead to=20 psychological stress, family break-up, despair, alcoholism, = violence and=20 suicides. Lack of economic opportunities renders families = dependent on=20 handouts barely adequate for survival, undermining dignity and=20 self-respect, and causing further harm to children. In such an=20 environment, no child can develop to his or her full potential. =

An overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans, especially children, = want=20 peace. Their hopes have been dashed by the recent stalling of = peace=20 initiatives facilitated by Norway, and the resumption of fighting. = UNICEF=20 calls on all parties to renew and re-double their efforts to find = peace,=20 the most precious right of every child in Sri Lanka.

* * *

For further information, please = contact:

Alfred=20 Ironside, UNICEF Media, New York (212) 326-7261
Colin Glennie, = UNICEF=20 Representative, Sri Lanka (94-1) 589-776

People who care about the abuse and exploitation of = children=20 can make their voices count by logging on to http://www.gmfc.org/ and = voting for=20 the top three priorities for children around the world. = Millions=20 have already taken part. The total count will be presented = to world=20 leaders at the UN Special Session on Children, sending the = message=20 that the world's citizens care about children and expect = governments=20 to keep the promises they make to them. =

***

UNICEF = urges=20 demobilization/reintergration of child soldiers Tues. 29=20 Oct.
UNICEF = negotiates with LTTE for recruited children Thurs.20=20 June
UNICEF calls = for=20 release of child soldiers by LRA Tues. 5 = Mar
UNICEF hails = new treaty=20 banning child soldiers Tues. 12 Feb. = 2002

2001

Ex-child = soldier=20 addresses Security Council Tues., 20 Nov =
UN leaders hail = new step=20 banning children as soldiers Tues.20 = Nov
Five months = later, child=20 soldiers go home to Sudan, Wed., 29=20 August
Ex-child = soldiers begin=20 new lives in Rwanda Mon, 20 August =
Sri Lankan = children still=20 recruited for wars Friday, 20 = July
Sierra = Leone=20 releases 150 more child soldiers Monday, 4=20 June
C=F4te = d'Ivoire=20 intercepts child soldiers from Burkina Faso June=20
In Angola=20 children released, but worry persists Sat, 26 = May=20
Hundreds of=20 child soldiers freed in Sierra Leone Friday, = 25 May=20 20
In = Angola, a call=20 for release of 60 abducted children Tues., 8 May
UNICEF renews = aid for=20 children in Sierra Leone Thurs , 19 = April
Carol = Bellamy on the=20 airlift of child soldiers in Sudan Tues, 27 = Feb=20
2,500=20 demobilized child soldiers out of Sudan Tuesday, 27=20 Feb
UNICEF = finds 163=20 Congolese child soldiers in Uganda Tuesday, 20 = Feb
UNICEF assesses = Congolese=20 child soldiers in Uganda Wed, 14 Feb =
UNICEF applauds = agreement=20 with Uganda on child soldiers Fri, 9 = Feb
Children in = armed=20 conflict to the Panel on Optional Protocol Wed., 31=20 Jan
Security = council=20 debates issue of children in war Wed, 26=20 July
Angola:=20 Call for immediate release of 21 abducted children Fri,=20 14 July

2000

Sudan=20 rebels give UNICEF a guarantee on child soldiers, Oct=20 24
Bellamy = in=20 Winnipeg on war-effected children Wed, 13=20 Sept
Gra=E7a=20 Michel calls for an end to impunity against war crimes Wed., 13 Sept
UNICEF hails = new Security=20 Council decision on children and war Fri, 11 Aug
Bellamy to = Security=20 Council on protection of children in conflict Wed, 26 July =
Hague Appeal for Peace: Children as catalysts for=20 peace Wed., 12=20 May

1999

To the Humanitarian Issues Working Group: the = catastrophe in=20 Kosovo Tues. 6 Apr
To the=20 Security Council: A peace and security agenda for children=20 Fri., 12 Feb

Due to the sad events in New York in September, the UN = General=20 Assembly has decided to postpone the Special Session On children. = For=20 further information, visit: www.unicef.org/specialsessi= on

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