Thursday, 12 May 2011
The United Nations has listed the Iniya Barrathi faction of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) that recruits or uses children, kill or maim children, and/or commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council.
Releasing the UN Secretary-General’s Tenth Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, yesterday, Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy stated that “the whereabouts of some children recruited by armed groups remain unknown, including some who are now adults.”
With regard to the LTTE, as at the end of December 2010, the number of persons unaccounted for was 1,373, including 15 who are still children. With regard to TMVP, the total number of pending cases is 13 boys, including 5 then under the age of 18 years, who remain associated with TMVP (former elements of Karuna faction, under the command of Iniya Barrathi).”
She also stated that “these 13 boys were abducted and last seen between 2006 and 2009, which is at most five years ago. The National Child Protection Authority investigation did not make any reference to Iniya Barrathi or his involvement in the recruitment or abduction of the missing persons. At the time of writing, no prosecution against persons allegedly responsible for child recruitment has been initiated, and repeated appeals to open a case against Iniya Barrathi for child recruitment by the United Nations country team and the Office of my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict have not been auctioned."
DM
