Tamil Tigers Are Accused of Recruiting Children From Camps

Tamil rebels have been recruiting children from tsunami relief camps, the head of Unicef in Sri Lanka said yesterday.

Although the government and the separatists have been working together in relative peace during the relief efforts, Ted Chaiban, of the United Nations children's fund, said there were three "verified cases of child recruitment" involving the Tamil Tigers.

"We are currently advocating with the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] to get the children released," he said.

The three, all girls, were aged 11, 12 and 15, said Mr Chaiban. He did not say whether they were recruited to fight in rebel ranks or to work in the guerrilla camps. They were taken from eastern areas hardest hit by last month's seismic wave.

"In the case of the 15-year-old girl, she was in a relief camp in Batticaloa with her grandmother, who says that the girl had been convinced to join the Tamil Tigers," the UN official told the Guardian. "The other two came from Ampara in the east of the country, and we are seeking for all to be returned."

Human-rights groups have recently accused the rebels of continuing to enlist boys and girls at a rate of more than 100 a month in violation of promises given when a peace accord with the government was signed two years ago.

The rebels have repeatedly denied actively recruiting children, saying that any child who joins does so because of poverty or the loss of parents. In 2003, the rebels agreed with Unicef and the government to free all child combatants, but the UN agency has said the insurgents continue to seek underage soldiers.

For two decades the rebels have waged a war for a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka, claiming that the majority Sinhalese population has openly discriminated against Tamils. The fighting has claimed more than 60,000 lives, and there was widespread relief when a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire was signed in 2002. But hopes have faded as talks have been stalled for nearly a year.

Officials said it was notable that the three latest child recruits were girls. More than 3,700 female Tamil Tigers - known as "Freedom Birds" - have died in the fighting that began in 1983.

About 12,000 of the estimated 31,000 people killed by the tsunami in Sri Lanka were children. A further 800,000 people have been left homeless. Mr Chaiban said nearly 1,000 Sri Lankan children had been orphaned by the disaster and another 3,200 had lost one parent.

Unicef has also reported half a dozen cases of child abuse in relief camps and two cases of attempted trafficking. "We need to encourage people to report so that there can be a formal investigation," said Mr Chaiban.

Earlier this week, a man was arrested on charges of trying to sell his granddaughters, aged seven and nine, to foreigners.

Unicef has given warning that the tsunami could have long-term "psycho-social trauma" effects of children and has sent teams of counsellors to tackle the problem.