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General Balagalle expressed these views at the workshop on “Training of Sri Lankan security forces in the protection of captured child combatants while in military custody”, organised by Army headquarters in collaboration with the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) in Sri Lanka. “The LTTE fighters could be enlisted in the Army as well as the Navy and could also be deployed to provide security for Tamil political leaders”, the Commander said. He said the ceasefire unilaterally declared by the LTTE and accepted by the government was holding by and large but there had been minor violations which had been conveyed to the rebels as ‘complaints’. The Army Chief also said the military high command had a warm heart and a cold head while dealing with the issues and supported the government’s peace effort facilitated by Norway. While hopes are running high across the country that there would be end to the ethnic conflict and the protracted war, reports say the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels are continuing to forcibly conscript youth in the north and east of the country. The Sri Lanka Army website reported on Thursday. “Some armed LTTE members had held a meeting, where their cadres claimed that the LTTE will collect ‘taxes’ from the public commencing 01 February. They had also said, it would be compulsory for ever family to give up one of its children to the LTTE organization”.
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Army
Commander Lionel Balagalle yesterday suggested absorbing LTTE child cadres
into the Sri Lankan Army in the event peace is achieved at the end of the
ongoing peace process.
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