http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20120309_02


Nearly 600 LTTE child soldiers rehabilitated within a year

Sri Lanka has rehabilitated nearly 600 child soldiers recruited
by LTTE within one year.
Addressing the meeting on the rights of the child at the 19th
session of the United Nations Human Rights Council Thursday, Sri Lanka
highlighted the enormous challenge it faced to rehabilitate and reintegrate 595
LTTE child soldiers who were in the care of the government after the end of the
conflict in May 2009.
The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and the Office of
the Commissioner General of Rehabilitations have successfully introduced and
implemented a scheme for comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration of the
former child combatants, Sri Lanka's delegate Ms. Priyanga Wickremasinghe told
the Council.
All former child soldiers were rehabilitated under a
UNICEF-assisted program and returned to their families. Despite their
participation in terrorist activities and not a single combatant was prosecuted,
Sri Lanka said.
The child soldiers have been given the opportunity and
assistance to return to school to pursue their studies and some have taken the
GCE Advanced Level Examinational and even passed to gain university admission,
the Council was told.
The NCPA has introduced a foster care program named "Surakna"
for the benefit of the conflict-affected children in the Northern Province.
Under the program, the children who have lost both parents and
living with relatives are eligible for monthly financial support from the State.
The program aims to prevent institutionalization of the children and to ensure
their well-being.
The delegate told the Council that the NCPA is in the process of
bringing laws to mete out severe punishment to the child abusers and to the
people convicted of all crimes against children.
The LTTE continued the practice of child recruitment until the
conclusion of the conflict in May 2009.
Courtesy : PRIU