Tamil Tigers always denied forcible child soldier recruitment

According to a mid-term review of UNICEF ,the UN agency for children, LTTE has recruited 488 children while releasing 449 during the first six months of the year.

UNICEF said that despite promises to refrain from recruiting children 1300 children remained with the Tigers.

In some cases recruitment has been done forcibly and on a number of occasions children have been removed from there homes violently.

Continued recruitment of child soldiers has made it difficult for families to access projects set up for children by UNICEF.

UNICEF repeats its call to immediately cease all recruitment of children and it further emphasises that the suspension of peace talks has fuelled recruitment initiatives.

The LTTE has always denied forcible child soldier recruitment and says that it only uses children for political and administrative work.

Broken promises  If families do not feel safe sending their children to school and vocational training courses, then it will become hard for humanitarian projects to succeed UNICEF

According to the LTTE children who do not have other alternatives to make a living are compelled to join the them.

However the LTTE has been widely criticised by the international al community for not keep its promise to refrain from child solider recruitment.

The European Union last month urged the LTTE to keep to its promise and immediately stop recruiting children for combat purposes.