Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

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.

Children dressed in LTTE combat uniforms carrying replicas of rocket launchers, missiles and machine guns much to the dismay of the audience.

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.

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'.

be influenced by the violent acts they are asked to perform although they have no experience at all about the theatre of war.

'They live in peaceful and prosperous Switzerland and as they are citizens of this country, the harm will be to the Swiss society,' he lamented.

There is a UN code for Children's rights.

Probably, LTT is not aware of that,

Regarding the child soldiers issue...

INGOs were requested by the Government to vacate the tensed and non-liberated Wanni area along with their vehicles and equipment, preventing them falling into the LTTE's hands. According to informed sources, LTTE has issued terrifying notices to officials of the organizations, not to remove their vehicles and equipments if they leave Wanni.

that it is the total responsibility of the INGOs and UN aid agencies that took the vehicles to Wanni to prevent them from being used by the LTTE for its most ruthless terror activities against both civilians and military.

If they had not been in a position to take the responsibility for their vehicles and other assets, they should not have taken them there. The military believes, according to sources, the INGOs are not in a position to remove their vehicles etc. to the cleared areas, as they are already being used by the LTTE, which also commandeered several heavy vehicles belonging to the Norwegian People's Aid.

One of the IDPs, K. Lingam from Jaffna, who was trying to talk to the UNHCR officials, told media that people were terrorised by the indiscriminate bombardment, and feared SLA blockade of supplies.

There is a UN code for Children's rights.

Probably, LTT is not aware of that,

If they had not been in a position to take the responsibility for their vehicles and other assets, they should not have taken them there. The military believes, according to sources, the INGOs are not in a position to remove their vehicles etc. to the cleared areas, as they are already being used by the LTTE, which also commandeered several heavy vehicles belonging to the Norwegian People's Aid.

Ahaka inna nai odokkuwe daagena 'kanawao kanawo' keema...