LTTE continue to conscript children, fleeing civilians reveal

(August 09, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) "Prabhakaran's children were sent to schools in the West, our children are denied education and sent to battle."

Civilians arriving in the liberated areas in North seeking protection of the security forces after escaping from the grip of Tiger terrorists are accusing the LTTE for continuous forcible conscription of children as combatants.

It is also reported that the LTTE terrorists have intensified their campaign to conscript children as they are rapidly losing ground to the advancing troops of the security forces.

News reports from the Wanni battle front indicate that the LTTE has used the Thavanpiddi Waddakkandhal school premises to train children in combat activities. They have also built a separate facility at the main hall of the school for special training and named it Mahaweera Hall. It has been built to display bodies of child soldiers who were killed in fighting.

The LTTE has removed the roof of the school building. They have also ordered that text books issued to schools in the north to be destroyed, civilian sources revealed.

"The aim of LTTE strategy is to encourage children to join them. Small children have been used to put up notices depicting thr "Eelam" map and glorifying LTTE activities," media reports said citing witnesses.

Meanwhile the security sources expose that the LTTE leader Prabhakaran is motivating children to join their ranks while he has send his son Charles Anthony and daughter Duhara to Europe for overseas education.

While It is clear that the LTTE has taken measures to create a war mentality and hatred among school children, civilians have pointed out that there's wide spread displeasure about the fact that the children of the leaders, including those of Velupillai Prabhakaran are living comfortable lives abroad.

Prabhakaran's son Charles Anthony and daughter Duhara were sent to the West to further their education, while children of ordinary civilians are not even allowed to study in local schools, they complained.
Courtesy: ReliefWeb
- Sri Lanka Guardian