Parents of over 7000 children had reported to UNICEF that their children were forcibly recruited by the LTTE for combat, said in a joint statement issued by UNICEF and Bureau of The Commissioner General of Rehabilitation yesterday.

Since 2002 UNICEF has observed and kept records of the use of children for armed conflict in Sri Lanka.

According to the statement, during the period of 2002and 2009 some child soldiers had fled from the LTTE and now those children are mature persons. Others are believed to be killed in the fighting.

The UNICEF representative in Sri Lanka said, these child soldiers are living in a very dangerous environment that is very harmful to their lives. Contrary to having hopes for their future they have to watch with fear what will happen to their future.

He believed that the National Campaign against the Recruitment of Children for Use in Armed Conflict would achieve its main object which was to bring back these child soldiers to normal life.