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LTTE uses children for fund raising propaganda

GENEVA: The vast majority of Tamil diaspora members and Swiss nationals who attended a cultural festival in Thurgau in Switzerland were shocked to see schoolchildren as young as eight years enacting a drama dressed as child combatants using replicas of most lethal weapons.

The event, organised by the Tamilischer Kulter Verein Thurgau, an organisation purportedly for promotion of Tamil culture and art was held in Thoreau for fund-raising for displaced persons in the North .

However, the entire event turned out to be a down and out fundraiser of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Senior LTTE activists controlling the chain of Tamil schools under Thamilchollai administration in Europe have given explicit orders to all the teachers that the policy of Eelam (Tamil separate state) first should be incorporated into the school syllabus.

This event is believed to have been organised under the order of Thamilchollai administration.

What shocked the Tamil diaspora members, especially the women and the middle-aged and the elderly was that young school children were dressed in combat uniforms carrying replicas of most dangerous weapons from rocket launchers, missiles and machine guns with capacity to kill hundreds within seconds.

While a handful of young parents watched the dances of their children with pride in their hearts, the vast majority of Tamils in the audience were shocked and dismayed about this display and openly expressed apprehensions about the longterm psychological impact on young minds when such violent behaviour is glorified.

Nobody should have a right to play games with such gullible children, said a Swiss national who went to see the event with his Tamil friends. This is a blatant violation of child rights and all international conventions against recruitment of child soldiers.

Swiss authorities should take action against the organisers of the event as the use of children for glorification of violence and subjecting children to such practices could lead them to grow up as social misfits who believe in violence, he pointed out.

A leading member of the Swiss Tamil diaspora expressed dismay at the sick minds of the people who stoop to such levels to raise funds for a militant movement .

He added that only diehard militants and ignorant parents would approve such practices of brain-washing young gullible young minds.

He pointed out that the Child Soldiers Global Report 2008* *details how a near global consensus that children should not be used as soldiers and strenuous international efforts have failed to protect tens of thousands of children from war.

It is very dangerous to play with child s mind. Early years of child s life is very important as that will have a lasting impact on his adult life, Dr Carlton Moulin, a psychologist said. What the children see in tender years will touch the rest of their lives for good or for ill

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