US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1101

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001101 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, INR/NESA 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
PLEASE PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958:    DECL:  06-30-14 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PHUM, KOCI, CE, UNICEF, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: LTTE BACKSLIDES ON CHILD SOLDIERS, REPORTEDLY 
SEEKS TO RECRUIT YOUNG ADULTS 
 
Ref:  Colombo 706 
 
(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY.  In a June 26 statement, UNICEF has 
blasted the LTTE for accelerating its efforts to recruit 
children in LTTE-controlled areas, despite promising 
signs this April when the Tigers released hundreds of 
children.  Since April, UNICEF has received 159 reports 
of forcible and voluntary child recruitment.   At the 
same time, the LTTE is publicly recruiting for an 
"auxiliary force" of 1,500 youth, whose members in the 
north and east would work under the auspices of the LTTE 
police, but would also act as a standby military unit 
for the Tigers.  Perhaps motivated by a "staffing 
crunch" since the April LTTE split, the Tigers clearly 
have no compunction about doing whatever is needed to 
fill their ranks.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) In a June 26 statement, UNICEF blasted the 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for accelerating 
its efforts to recruit children in the north and east, 
despite releasing hundreds of children in April of this 
year and earlier promises to stop the practice.  The 
statement called for the Tigers to release recently 
recruited children and to take steps "?t the highest 
levels of the LTTE to ensure children are no longer 
taken by the organization."  UNICEF charged that the 
LTTE violated the Action Plan for Children Affected by 
War it signed with the GSL in June, 2003 in which the 
Tigers said they would stop recruiting children into its 
ranks, either voluntarily or through coercion.  In 
April, the LTTE officially released 269 children and 
expressed a willingness to provide a formal release for 
over 1,300 other children who went home when LTTE 
breakaway eastern rebel leader Karuna disbanded his 
cadres (see reftel).  UNICEF's current criticism of the 
LTTE stems from accelerated underage recruitment after 
the April releases.  The LTTE has not yet responded to 
this UNICEF statement. 
 
3.  (C) Despite hopes that the Tigers would cease 
recruiting children, UNICEF has received 159 reports of 
LTTE child recruitment since April: predominently in the 
north, but also in the east.  In a June 29 conversation 
with poloff, acting UNICEF Representative Yasmin Ali 
Haque explained that the LTTE was recruiting more 
children than it was releasing, and that most of the 
newly recruited children were not re-recruited 
(previously released) children.  The newest underage 
recruits, according to Ali Haque, are a mix of 
voluntarily and forcibly recruited children. 
 
4.  (U) Media reports June 27 highlighted another LTTE 
recruitment campaign: this time a publicly recruited 
"auxiliary force" of 1,500 youth (18-25 years) in the 
north and east, whose members would work under the 
auspices of the LTTE police, but would also act as a 
standby military unit for the Tigers.  Recruits would 
receive six months of "armed training" and work on 
rehabilitation, road and building construction, forest 
conservation and agriculture projects under the 
administrative structure of the LTTE.  In response to 
formal advertisements the LTTE placed in independent and 
Tiger-controlled newspapers in the North, more than 300 
men and women reported to LTTE police headquarters in 
Kilinochchi last week for interviews.  According to news 
reports, recruits will earn 8,500 Rs (approximately USD 
85) per month, must be citizens of "Tamil Eelam," and 
are subject to a strict screening process to ensure they 
are not loyal to breakaway LTTE leader Karuna.  LTTE 
"Police Chief" Nadesan told a prominent English weekly, 
"We will provide the military training and place them in 
various LTTE projects, but when the need arises we use 
them for fighting." 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT.  The uptick in Tiger recruitment almost 
certainly stems from the LTTE's need to replace cadre 
who were decommissioned by Karuna in April, as well as a 
desire to increase overall cadre numbers should the 
conflict resume.  UNICEF's statement on LTTE backsliding 
makes clear that the Tigers will do whatever they feel 
is necessary to fill the ranks.  If press reports are 
accurate that the LTTE is offering significant 
recruitment incentives to young adults in the north and 
east, many may be motivated by economics to sign up. 
END COMMENT. 
 
 
LUNSTEAD