UN protests Tamil Tigers recruiting children forcibly in Sri Lanka
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, March 17, IRNA -- The UN in Sri Lanka has protested to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against the forcible recruitment of its staff and their dependent children by the armed groups and called for their immediate release.
"UN national staffs, as well as children in general, are protected under national and international law from recruitment by armed groups."
The UN said that it holds grave fears for the safety of one UN national staff member, and three dependent family members who were forcibly recruited over the weekend by the LTTE, inside the government-declared No Fire Zone, All India Radio (AIR) reported.
The forced recruitments included the 16-year-old daughter of a UN national staff member.
Another UN national staff member was recruited two weeks ago, and has yet to be released despite repeated requests from the UN.
Earlier in the day the defence sources had revealed that a UN worker, Sutharshani Tharmila and 13 others were injured when the LTTE shot at them when they arrived in the cleared areas of Puthukkudirippu on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, the Army has also confirmed that three UNHCR employees with their families and two wives of UNDP employees had also arrived with the Internally Displaced Persons who escaped on Saturday evening.
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