|
|
|
Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 11.28 GMT |
|
Free all children immediately - UN to
LTTE
|
|
|
|
The Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General for Children and Armed
Conflict has urged the LTTE to allow all
children and their families to move to safe
areas away from the fighting.
The Special Representative said a
significant number of LTTE fighters are
children, and urged the LTTE to immediately
release these children, and expressed the
hope that the Government of Sri Lanka would
engage in discussions on ways and means of
sparing their lives.
Here is the text of
the Special Representative's statement:
New York, 21 January 2008 – Radhika
Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Children and Armed
Conflict, expressed her concern for the fate
of children in the on-going conflict in Sri
Lanka. Thousands of children are caught in
the confrontation between Sri Lankan
Government forces and the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Ms. Coomaraswamy stated that she is worried
about the children who are internally
displaced (IDP) as well as for the child
combatants used by the LTTE.
The Special Representative urges the LTTE to
allow all children and their families to
move to safe areas away from the fighting.
She calls upon the Government to welcome
these families and to create conditions that
respect their fundamental rights and which
offer a viable alternative to life in a war
zone. "Any camp set up for IDPs has to meet
international standards. The Government of
Sri Lanka should work with international and
local humanitarian actors to ensure their
safety and security," said Ms. Coomaraswamy
A significant number of LTTE fighters are
children. The Special Representative urges
the LTTE to immediately release these
children and she hopes that the Government
of Sri Lanka would engage in discussions on
ways and means of sparing their lives. Ms.
Coomaraswamy further stressed the fact that
the Government of Sri Lanka and
international humanitarian actors should
make the necessary preparations for
separating these children and for
reintegrating them back into their families.
"We must not forget the children. They are
the next generation and they must be
protected as much as possible" concluded Ms.
Coomaraswamy.
|
|
|
|
Contact Information: Send
mail to