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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000109 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: UPDATE ON CHILD SOLDIERS 
 
COLOMBO 00000109  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES VALERIE C. FOWLER.  REASONS: 1.4 (B, D 
) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: According to UNICEF, new cases of child 
recruitment in 2009 numbered 17 by the TMVP and 402 by the 
LTTE.  All of these children were released.  There were now 
five outstanding cases of TMVP children recruited before 2009 
who were under 18, and 54 outstanding cases who had turned 18 
since being recruited.  There were 33 outstanding cases of 
LTTE child recruits under 18, and 1347 outstanding cases who 
had turned 18.  Because UNICEF's mandate covered only those 
under 18, there was no authority to continue investigations 
of children once they turn 18.  The systematic dropping of 
investigations of children when they turn 18 leaves families 
and children without recourse, and gives perpetrators a free 
pass.  The GSL had demonstrated a commitment to stopping 
recruitment and rehabilitating children involved in conflict 
but had not taken any visible steps toward accountability. 
One or two commanders were reportedly detained for child 
recruitment but not prosecuted.  END SUMMARY. 
 
RECRUITMENT CONTINUED IN EARLY 2009 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) There were 17 cases of new child recruitment by the 
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) reported to UNICEF in 
¶2009.  All of these children have now been released and their 
TMVP involvement confirmed.  (NOTE: The TMVP began when 
Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan ("Karuna") broke from the LTTE 
in 2004 to create a pro-government paramilitary group. The 
group has since evolved into a legally registered political 
party, but it maintains an armed wing. END NOTE).  Most of 
the children were recruited for military use in January and 
February of 2009 when the war was ongoing. The children 
underwent military training and presumably were involved in 
military operations.  The last known new recruitment case was 
in June.  Embassy contacts indicated that the Karuna faction 
of the TMVP was responsible for recruitment, mostly under the 
direction of Commander Iniya Barrathi.  (NOTE: Karuna left 
the TMVP for the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in 
February 2009 and became Minister of National Integration but 
he still exerts influence on a considerable component of the 
TMVP. END NOTE.).  Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan 
("Pillayan"), Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and head 
of the TMVP political party, was regarded as genuinely 
concerned about cleaning up his image and stopping all 
underage recruitment. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to UNICEF, there were 402 confirmed cases 
of LTTE child recruitment between January and the war's end 
in May 2009.  The child recruits were identified during the 
post-war process of separating children from adult detainees, 
verified by UNICEF, and sent for rehabilitation by court 
order.  Post contacts suggest that the actual number of 
children recruited by the LTTE in 2009 was likely much higher 
as many children remained missing. 
 
¶4. (SBU) There were anecdotal reports of two to three cases 
of recruitment by the pro-government People's Liberation of 
Tamil Eelam (PLOTE).  The families were reportedly too 
intimidated to file official complaints so no formal 
investigations were made.  There was one anecdotal case of 
recruitment by the pro-government Eelam People's Democratic 
Party (EPDP). 
 
REPORTS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND PRESSURE BRING RELEASES 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The most recent UNICEF statistics indicated five 
outstanding TVMP cases and 33 outstanding LTTE cases of 
children who were reported recruited before 2009, were still 
 
COLOMBO 00000109  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
under age 18 and remained unaccounted for.  The TMVP cases 
were reportedly recruited in 2008. 
 
¶6. (C) According to Embassy contacts, when a family believed 
a child had been recruited, it could file a report with 
UNICEF and the GSL Child Welfare Unit.  A Task Force made up 
of UNICEF, TMVP, and GSL representatives (including the 
police and Government Agent) would be responsible for the 
case under a tripartite Action Plan signed on December 4, 
¶2008.  Task Force representatives would visit the family for 
additional information and verification.  The police were 
responsible for making full investigation to locate a 
suspected child soldier, and pressure on the TMVP had secured 
releases.  While Task Force TMVP representatives were 
affiliated with Pillayan, the Task Force was credited with 
successfully pushing for the release of recent Karuna TMVP 
recruits.  A strong stance against child recruitment by 
Secretary of Justice J. K. Gamlath and Mahinda Samarasinghe, 
Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, was also 
credited with contributing to releases.  Children were 
generally released informally.  The children would reappear, 
and the TMVP would refer to them as "runaways" from the TMVP. 
 
GAP IN SYSTEM LEAVES OLDER RECRUITS IN LIMBO 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) UNICEF's mandate extends only to children under age 
¶18.  Therefore, once a recruited child turned 18, UNICEF did 
not have the authority to push for an investigation.  In 
other contexts, responsibility for these cases could shift to 
ICRC, but ICRC's limited operations in Sri Lanka at this time 
do not allow for this.  Therefore, people who were recruited 
as children and who remained missing once they turned 18 had 
no one designated as responsible or empowered to find them. 
As one contact noted, in the United States we do not give up 
on children who were kidnapped just because they turn 18. 
The most recent UNICEF statistics showed 54 unresolved cases 
of children recruited by the TMVP who had turned 18, and 1347 
cases of children recruited by the LTTE who had turned 18. 
 
ZERO TOLERANCE BUT ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) While trusted sources in the UN and NGO communities 
generally commended the GSL for adopting a "zero tolerance" 
policy on child recruitment, accountability of those who 
engaged in the practice was a glaring gap in GSL commitment. 
Interlocutors did not know of a single case of prosecution of 
anyone who recruited children.  One or two commanders were 
reportedly detained for child recruitment but not prosecuted. 
 Accountability was seen as an important component of 
achieving justice for child victims, as well as deterring 
future recruitment. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (C) While the GSL appears committed to stopping new 
recruitment of children and supporting their rehabilitation, 
this does not absolve the government of its responsibility to 
provide them accountability.  Additionally, the systematic 
dropping of investigations of children when they turn 18 
leaves families and children without recourse and 
perpetrators with a free pass.  Outstanding cases of those 
over 18 far exceed those under 18 (53 TMVP recruits over 18, 
5 under 18; 1347 LTTE recruits over 18, 33 under 18).  As 
time passes, more children will turn 18 and move beyond 
UNICEF's reach and the Task Force's influence. This group 
should not be forgotten in moves to resolve child recruitment 
issues in Sri Lanka. 
FOWLER