Government officials meant to look after the interests of minors turn a blind eye to sexual abuse of young girls which has risen at an alarming rate in Jaffna peninsula in recently, civil society groups in Jaffna peninsula said. Climate of war, continuing economic restrictions, poverty, lack of employment, restriction of free movement, and calculated plans of cultural decadence witnessed especially after the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) closure of the A9 land route to Jaffna peninsula are in the background of sexual abuse of minor-aged, the sources said. A 13-year-old girl in Valikaamam gave birth to a child recently and Court has directed the newborn to be placed in the care of Child Care Centre.

Sri Lankan authorities have urged the British Government to ban fund-raising activities of what they described as `LTTE`s front organisations` alleging that the money collected by these groups ostensibly for charitable purposes went into the coffers of the Tigers.

They said that although the LTTE was banned in Britain, a number of organisations claiming to be `charities` were working for it.

`These funds directly go to the coffers of the insurgent group to wage war with the Sri Lankan Government and spread violence among civilian populations,` a spokesman of the Sri Lankan High Commission said.