11 Child soldiers undergo rehabilitation

The Ministry of Human Rights and Disaster Management in a release said yesterday, that the Government had accepted 11 child soldiers released by the TMVP, and had directed the relevant authorities to commence a programme of rehabilitation for the children with immediate effect.

The Commissioner-General of Rehabilitation Suhada Gamlath has accepted these children, who are thought to have been involved in the conflict. The parents of the children will have access to them and they would undergo psychological evaluation and counselling in addition to programmes aimed at education, vocational training and skills, according to the release. The release said that the Government appreciated the commitment shown by TMVP and that this move was a clear indication that the organisation has taken this measure in consequence of its entry into the democratic main stream.

The Government has repeatedly requested all armed groups to release any children they may have in their custody, with a view to rehabilitating and integrating these children and securing of a better future for them.

The release said that the Government was committed in dealing with the issue of children in armed conflict adhering to the undertaking given to several international for a including the UN Security Council's working group on children and armed conflict. It also said that the Government had taken a number of steps to secure the release of, and initiate programmes of rehabilitation for, children caught up in armed conflict.

The release of the children had been facilitated by the Batticaloa Police in cooperation with the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) and was witnessed by UNICEF and officials of the Ministry.