Thursday, October 07, 2004

Child Conscription by LTTE - LTTE Teenager Speaks out

Rajendran Dayanandan aged 16 who was arrested in Kurukuttimurippukulam North of Puliyankulam is a young boy born in Muttur in theTrincomalee District to a family of seven. The statement made by him is as follows. "I am a boy who has never gone to school. About three months back when I went to buy bread, members of the LTTE approached me and forcefully took me into a camp. Although a 3-month training is given to the newly recruited cadres, I was only given one months training.

After I was forcibly taken to the organisation my father visited me and wanted to take me home. But when I informed the leader of the camp Karthikaran, he arrested me. The senior members of the camp never gave us sufficient food and clothing. They used to send us to the front and when we refuse we were assaulted. After the training I was sent on a recee mission with only one grenade where I was arrested by the Army."

When spoke to him he further said, " I had no intention of joining the organisation. But I was taken forcibly. There are lot of children like me who are being trained in the moment and they too are undergoing the same difficulties". He also said that "I do not want to go back to the organisation but if I am given a chance, I will go home. I hope the Security Forces will put an end to this war and rescue all the children who are being forcefully trained and put to the front. We only want peace and harmony. We do not want the LTTE. I humbly request all the youth not to join or get caught to the LTTE. From the day I was arrested by the army they have treated me and looked after me very well". It is observed child abuse in the LTTE organisation in continuing rapidly by recruiting children forcibly to put them in the war zone.

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