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LTTE abused fleeing girls

22 May 2010 06:00 pm - 14     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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A report by UN Secretary General Ban-ki moon, handed over to the UN Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict, notes in a section on Sri Lanka that the LTTE had forcibly cut the hair of girls trying to flee the conflict during the last stages of the war to mislead the military into thinking they were Tiger cadres.

Meanwhile the annual report which had once listed the LTTE and the TMVP led by Karuna Amman and later Pillayan as outfits involved in child recruitment, now does not have their names listed with the end of the war but yet carries the name of Karuna supporter Iniya Barrathi as a child recruiter.

“Some women and girls trying to flee the conflict areas had their hair forcibly cut by the LTTE as a deterrent to fleeing, knowing that women with short hair would be suspected by the Sri Lankan Army of being LTTE cadres and would likely be treated differently from other internally displaced persons,” the report seen by Daily Mirror online said.

The report also said that some young girls were forced by their families to marry their relatives to avoid forced recruitment by LTTE during the final stages of the war.

The report comes amidst allegations by human rights groups of serious human rights abuses by the government during the final stages of the war which ended in May last year, allegations which the government has denied. 

The Annual Report gives an overview of the situation of children affected by conflict and action taken for their protection over the reporting period.  In mid-June the report will be discussed in the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.

“Interviews with internally displaced persons also indicated that during the months leading to the end of the conflict, there were reports of rape during fight and of sexual harassment, especially towards former female LTTE cadres, including girls,” the UN report said without identifying the who the perpetrators were.

The report meanwhile says there has been no evidence of significant recruitment by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulighal (TMVP) in 2009. TMVP, formerly led by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (also known as Karuna), has been reconstituted and is now under the control of former LTTE cadre Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (also known as Pillayan).

However it said that during a mission to Sri Lanka by a UN Special Envoy last December, a number of reports were received on recruitment of children and threats of re-recruitment by Iniya Barrathi, who was part of the TMVP breakaway faction, under Karuna’s leadership, and is referred to as “commander” in Ampara district in the Eastern province.

In the districts of Killinochchi and Mullaitivu a total of 199 cases of children killed and 146 cases of children maimed were reported from 1 January 2009 to 19 May 2009, although the actual number of casualties is likely to be higher, the UN report said. (Daily Mirror online)


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  Comments - 14

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  • Saturday, 22 May 2010 06:50 PM

    why is it that we believe UN reports when it is convenient to us. Why not believe UN reports of HR violation by our own forces on our own sri lankan citizens. Disgusting.

    Saturday, 22 May 2010 07:17 PM

    regardless of it is Tamils or Sinhalese, all who committed war crimes must be identified and punished. period!

    Saturday, 22 May 2010 07:47 PM

    Cutting hair! cutting head!- degree of human right violation! Both needs inquiry! Priority ? ?????????

    Saturday, 22 May 2010 11:20 PM

    Karuna Amman saved our motherland Sri Lanka from terrorism, General Sarath Fonseka is responsible for the massacre of Buddhist monks at Aranthalawa. - this will soon come from the lips of a SL government minister.

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 12:08 AM

    ICG, HRW, AI where are you now?

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 12:32 AM

    Greatest invention of the 21st century in the domain of Moon

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 02:13 AM

    A big organisation like UN is behind a case of "Hair cuts: in a conflict area. Go UN, go as you'll have ebough to waste on such petty subject and create News for world.

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 03:09 AM

    What was UN doing all these days? Is it news to UN now? Most of these girls were also raped by the LTTE. Only now UN wakes up?

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 04:03 AM

    Good try for counter propaganda. better luck next time.

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 04:37 AM

    So the UN knows some things that we don't and brings them out when it suits them. I am sure they also know exactly what happened at Nandi Kadal and yet they want an inquiry. To please agents of the diaspora???

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 04:59 AM

    At last UN accepted that LTTE has abused innocent Tamil girls. Likewise they will accept that the 'white flag fiction' is also a fake. Truth always wins!!
    BUT, it is obvious that they still try to fire us openly by stating - "there were reports of rape during fight and of sexual harassment, especially towards former female LTTE cadres, including girls". By saying "towards former LTTE cadres", they imply it is not by LTTE. But what is obvious is that when LTTE abused the girls, sexual harassment would have nothing much for them.
    Most of the reports of similar organisations bear the words- "according to sources, people said, Reports said" but never detail in an acceptable way.
    Mr. Moon, "if you point your one finger, how many towards you?

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 05:20 AM

    This is the time to act HRW as unbaised org.

    Sunday, 23 May 2010 05:23 AM

    Shehan you are wright, not by the Srilankan army but by the LTTE.

    Monday, 24 May 2010 07:33 AM

    All war crimes should be investigated - whether it be Prabha, Karuna, Pillayan etc. or our Forces, politicians etc. - THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN WIN INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE.


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