[child-rights] Peace in Sri Lanka key to assisting children affected by war

***Learn more about children's rights in war in HREA's study guide on
Children & Youth: http://www.hrea.org/learn/guides/children.html


UNICEF Press release

9 September 2004, Colombo - In a report released today by UNICEF, the UN
agency says that the stalled peace talks between the Government of Sri
Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a major
impediment to assisting children affected by the country's two-decade long
war.

Reviewing progress made in the first half of 2004 under the Action Plan
for Children Affected by War, UNICEF found that other barriers to
assisting children made vulnerable by the conflict included the LTTE's
failure to end the recruitment of children, and the destabilizing effect
of continued inter-factional violence in the East.

However, UNICEF also made it clear that all organizations involved in the
Action Plan would continue to work for the rights of children throughout
Sri Lanka. Action Plan partners include the International Labour
Organization (ILO), Ministry of Social Welfare, Save the Children in Sri
Lanka, the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), United Nation
Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR).

"UNICEF is very concerned about the impact the stalled peace negotiations
is having on children in this country," said Mr. Ted Chaiban, UNICEF
Representative for Sri Lanka. "Increased insecurity and the continued
recruitment of child soldiers are making it more difficult for families to
access projects set up under the Action Plan. If families do not feel safe
sending their children to school or vocational training courses, then it
will become harder for humanitarian projects to succeed."

The Action Plan is the only signed human rights agreement between the
Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to have emerged from the suspended
peace talks in 2003, and it represents the only formal agreement by both
sides to address the urgent needs of children affected by war.

"Under the Action Plan, a lot of good work for children has been
achieved,"  said Mr. Chaiban. "But this is at risk when the LTTE does not
take its commitment to end recruitment seriously, and if progress in the
peace process remains elusive."

Under the Action Plan, close to 7,000 children enrolled back to school and
more than 43,000 children received catch-up-education classes in the first
half of the 2004 alone. 241 school buildings damaged or destroyed in the
war were repaired or reconstructed, and 580 child soldiers and their
families received social work assessments. A further 410 children who were
engaged in hazardous labour or were living in the streets also benefited
from social work support.

At the same time, reports of recruitment for the first half of the year
show that the LTTE recruited 488 children into its ranks over this
six-month period. While some children volunteered, others were forcibly
recruited, sometimes violently, particularly in the East. During the same
period, 449 children were released by the LTTE, but over 1,300 children
still remain in their ranks.

While conditions for children have improved significantly during the past
two years of relative peace and stability in Sri Lanka, continued progress
will require genuine political will by both the government and the LTTE to
create a climate of peace and stability throughout the country.

Specifically, the UNICEF report calls on the LTTE to immediately cease all
recruitment of under 18 year olds and release all children within its
ranks. The LTTE should also actively publicize its commitment not to
accept under 18 year olds, verify the age of all young people who
volunteer to join its ranks to ensure that they are not under-age and
cease all forcible recruitment and abductions.

The report also recommends that the Government of Sri Lanka should ensure
that children have full and free access to primary and secondary
education, vocational training and health care throughout the North East,
and ensure that there are sufficient numbers of adequately trained
teachers, health and social workers. UNICEF also called on the government
to amend the Prevention of Terrorism Act to ensure that it does not apply
to children under 18 years of age.

According to the report, the international community also has a
responsibility to increase the resources and assistance available to
war-affected children. In particular, partner agencies to the Action Plan
need to increase their programmes, staffing and capacity to respond more
swiftly and effectively to the needs of children and their families.
Partner organizations should continue to build alliances with
community-based organizations and develop strategies to protect children
from violations of their rights, including under-age recruitment.

--
The "child-rights" mailing list provides information on issues related
to children's human rights. Archives of "child-rights" messages, as well
as instructions on how to (un)subscribe to the list, can be found at:
http://www.hrea.org/lists/child-rights/markup/maillist.php