Rebels recruit tsunami kids
2005-01-13 23:31
Colombo - Tamil Tiger rebels have recruited tsunami-affected children as soldiers, the chief of Unicef in Sri Lanka said on Thursday.
"There are three verified cases of child recruitment," Ted Chaiban told reporters.
"We are currently advocating with the LTT (Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam) to get the children released," he said.
All three children were from eastern Sri Lanka, one of the worst hit region's of the island-nation by the December 26 tsunami that killed about 31 000 people islandwide.
The rebels are known for recruiting children to bolster their ranks in their fight for a separate homeland campaign.
A Norwegian-brokered cease-fire halted Sri Lanka's civil war in February, 2002.
But both the sides have failed to come to a peace agreement.
- AP