“Sri Lankan security forces rounded up children to be recruited by the Karuna fraction. We uncounted direct and indirect complicity and participation” - these are the shocking revelations made by Alan Rock, special advisor to the UN’s special representative for children and the armed conflict on Sri Lanka.

His report is going to be submitted to the Security Council in January. The issue of recruitment of child soldiers by Sri Lankan military is, therefore, going to be raised at the August assembly of the UN’s Security Council, at its sittings next January.

Allen Rock visited Sri Lanka in his capacity as a special advisor to reputed Lankan lady Rathika Kumarasamy, UN representative for children and armed conflict. He issued a statement on conclusion of his 10 day mission in the country, having visited war-torn areas including North-East.

Allan Rock has revealed two pertinent facts. One issue is that the Sri Lankan government security forces recruit child soldiers on behalf of Karuna factions, a paramilitary group. The other fact is that there is evidence of presence of Karuna faction among the security forces.

When accusations were made in the past about the operation of paramilitary groups along with the security forces, the Sri Lankan government denied it. But, now, the UN envoy has proved that the denial by the government was a diabolic lie.

At the Geneva peace talks last February, Rajapakse’s government gave an undertaking to disarm paramilitary groups but that was not honoured.

The international community insists that the Geneva talks should continue on the basis of the decisions made at earlier meetings. It is now clear that Rajapakse government is unwilling to implement not only the agreements reached between Ranil’s government and the LTTE but also the agreements reached between his government and the LTTE.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has confirmed Allan Rock’s report. Helen Otafsdotir, acting SLMM spokes person, has stated that the statement made by Alan Rock is correct and that SLMM in his second Geneva report released in August stressed that they had sufficient evidence to prove that the government forces were involved in child recruitment.

But defense spokes person, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, has denied the charges against the government made by both the UN official and the SLMM as being baseless.

The international community expects a legitimate and democratically elected government to observe and honour its commitment to democracy and human rights. But the UN official has exposed the blatant violation of this commitment by the Lankan government.

It is speculated that this issue will be reflected in the joint statement that is to be issued at the conclusion of the meeting of the donor country in Washington.

Sri Lankan government is on the dock.

An English translation of the Editorial in Uthayan, a Tamil daily, based in Jaffna

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