Repeated opposition for LTTE's child recruitment drive

While Pope Benedict has appealed in his Christmas talk to the world to come to an end all forms of child mistreatment including child soldiering - the psychotic leader of the release Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has sent an arrange at the same time hard all students who now sat for the General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) test be conscripted for military preparation.
in spite of the Pope's appeal Prabhakaran wants to call up the 8000 girls and boys who sat for the GCE (O'level) exam to beef up his army as a previous option to save his tottering fascist government and the self affirmed political assets , Kilinochchi now bounded and life form overwhelmed by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
The Holy Father celebrating the fourth Christmas since he became the leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics said from the historic St. Peter's Basilica, "Let us think of those road children who do not have the approval of a family home, Let us think of those clutch who are victims of the industry of pornography and every other awful form of abuse, and thus are troubled to the lowest point of their soul."
The Pope said Catholics had to "do all in our power to put an end to the pain of these children".
Traumatized indeed, according to UNESCO reports, six thousand youngster soldiers are still enslaved, in the abominable torment camps of Prabhakaran, from where they are prearranged to the battlefield to become the cannon food of the enemy. We do not know precisely how many of them have decayed in his Waterloo which Prabhakaran is at there opposite.
The Government of Sri Lanka regards the staffing and use of children in armed difference as a serious child rights' violation and has time after time asserted its "zero tolerance" place on the do.
The Coalition to stop Child Soldiers said, in their Global Report for 2008, "As of September 2007 the total number of children known to have been recruited by the LTTE since January 2002 was well over six thousand, although the real number was thought to be much higher.
Re-recruitment trends over this period fluctuated, with 30 children in 2002, about 70 in 2003, almost 300 in 2004, about a hundred each year in 2005 and 2006, and about 25 in the first nine months of 2007. By mid-2007 about 1,500 people recruited as children remained in LTTE ranks, of whom over 300 were still below 18. The average age of recruitment increased from 14 to 16 during the period 2002-7. Approximately one third of the children recruited by the LTTE were girls."
The similar group in a dissimilar report said, "The Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) relied a lot on child soldiers throughout Sri Lanka's war, using some as youthful as nine.
The rebels say they no longer recruit under-18s, but many organisations, counting the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF, Amnesty global and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (now dissolved), say recruitment continues.
"LTTE denials are belied by reliable evidence of abductions of children for armed training. Child recruitment ... is ongoing," said Casey Kelso, international manager of the alliance to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
One girl recruited when she was 14 told the New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch how the terrorists would sometimes kill those who tried to escape.
"If you get wedged, they take you rear and beat you. Some children expire. If you do it twice, they shoot you. In my wing, if someone runaway the whole group was wrinkled up to watch them get beaten ... If the person dies, they don't tell you, but we know it happens."
Children have been recruited at place of worship festivals, at school and on the way to school. Some have been abducted but others have signed up themselves, from time to time to escape poverty.
A 13-year-old girl told Human Rights Watch: "We learned how to take to pieces (weapons) and put them rear together again. We did target shooting. If we didn't shoot at the correct target, then we were punished ... We had preparation on war tactics: if there is an army camp, how to approach, kill, plan the attack."
During this Christmas it has been emphasized that the Catholic Church's great concern about Child soldiers: "Expressions of the Holy See's continuing concern about the crash of armed disagreement on children included a declaration in the 2006 Christmas Eve Homily of Pope Benedict XVI. With reference to the birth of Christ, the Pope stated that "The child of Bethlehem directs our gaze towards all children who suffer and are abused in the world." Among several examples of such particularly vulnerable children he mentioned "brood who are located as soldiers in a aggressive world".
In August 2007, during a call to northern Uganda, Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, condemned the Lord's confrontation Army for the kidnap and compulsory recruitment of thousands of children into their forces. He also called on the global community to increase its financial support and support for the reintegration of former child soldiers."
The concerns of the Pope too should become the inner power and spirit of the broad Catholic communities in Kilinochchi and Mullaittivu to oppose this crime.

Year 2009 will be Year of Triumph over Terrorism - President

The year 2009 will be the Year of victory over Terrorism. Next year we will free the country of atrocious terrorism, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa speaking at a purpose held at the Presidential Secretariat on December 23 to award State honours on experienced person cinema actress Malani Fonseka who lately won the Golden Peacock Award for the Best Actress at the 99th Indian global Film Festival held in Goa, India.
It was her presentation in the film Akasha Kusum which won her the prize.
The President too said this film will be screened next year. He added that we could think artistes who won global awards through the representation of Sri Lankan identities as valuable to us than those who make such awards by bringing disgrace to the motherland.

27 Tamil civilians arrive at Omanthai Entry/Exit point

Another group of Tamil civilians who were able to flee from non-liberated areas in Oddusudan, Mullaittivu have at home at the Omanthai Entry/Exit tip in Vavuniya yesterday (Dec 25).
According to the military sources, 27 Tamil civilians including 7 children have reached to security forces forbidden area seeking security for their lives Thursday morning. 10 males and 10 females are too among the group of escapees.
"Unable to oppose the military attacks LTTE terrorists are by force investment civilians," one of the escapees said.
The escapees have been heading for to the welfare centers recognized in the region after as long as them with foodstuff, medical treatments and other supplies

New building complex for Jaffna University

The University of Jaffna is to be long-drawn-out with a novel structure complex for its Management Studies and Commerce Faculty at a cost of Rs. 400 million. It will give improved facilities to together students and the staff.
Mass Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said cupboard had decided endorsement for a proposal submitted by senior Education Minister Prof. Vishwa Warnapala to construct the new multifaceted.
The faculty established in 1999, consists of 800 students and 40 academic staff. It has two Departments - Management and Commerce, providing four year particular amount courses.
These programs are being approved out sharing amenities with the sense of Arts owing to lack of room.
The building of the first phase of the future new wing is to be implemented near the beginning after that year, and the equilibrium work will go after in four years.

No food shortage in Vanni

Tigers using tents, tarpaulins for combat purposes - 74,618 metric tons of essentials sent
The administration yesterday re-assured that caring assistance to civilians livelihood in non-liberated areas of Vanni would carry on un-interrupted, in spite of difficulties posed by vagaries of the weather, terrorist performance and bad street conditions.
Confirming there was no food be short of in the Vanni, Essentials Services Commissioner S.B. Divarathne said the Government was getting the fullest collaboration of all stakeholders counting the WFP andICRC in the try to provide provisions to the civilians.
Since August this year, the Government with the help of additional stakeholders had sent 74,618 metric tons of basics to the area. In adding, 90 per cent of the foodstuff letters sent by India too had been delivered, he added.
According to Divaratne, there had been 8,528 lorry loads of food sent to Vanni during this period.
In addition, the Government was keeping a shock absorber stock of 3,000 metric tons in Vavuniya to get together any crisis.
Quoting independent figures, Divarathne said that nearly 250,000 people were living in the non-liberated areas mainly in Mullaveli, Dharmapuram, Kandaveli and Pudikudirippu. Out of this figure nearly 100,000-125,000 are believed to be displaced, he noted.
also, in addition to food, 99 per cent of medical provisions wanted for hospitals in the region too had been dispatched, he said.
Commenting on the lack of shelter material, Divarathne said that the Government had decided not to send tents and tarpaulins as they had received dependable information that the Tigers were by them for battle purposes.
As an option measure, the Government has determined to send thatched cadjan as protection material. A total of 200,000 Cadjan sheets would be sent there shortly, he added. In addition the Government was planning to send kerosene, school books and other supplies soon, Divaratne said.
He also sharp out that in spite of Tiger claims, it was the Government that provided necessary provisions to civilians and that the Government device of utilising cooperatives, management, hospitals etc is performance as usual.
During October, the Government had spent Rs.117 million to repair decrepit roads and streamline the delivery process as global organizations had refused to attend deliveries citing sensible difficulties,, Divarathne added.
Commenting on the state of affairs in Jaffna, Divarathne said in spite of having to face the most harsh floods recorded in 50 years, the Government has brought the situation beneath control within a small period of time.
In Jaffna too there is no lack of food or other basics, he added.

TF1 advances towards Paranthan; LTTE receives heavy damages - Kilinochchi

Troops of Task Force 1 additional sustained their look towards Paranthan after efficiently avoidance LTTE's counter attacks to get well their misplaced battlefront convey weapons defense in Sinna Paranthan region this morning, 25 December.
LTTE terrorists have tried more than a few times to person's name up the loosing areas from this morning, the defence.lk reporter in TF1 said.
According to the most recent in order customary from the battlefront, 12 LTTE terrorists were killed while one more 18 suffered injuries all through the violent fight erupted in Sinna Paranthan area through out the day.

Christmas spirit has special relevance in Sri Lanka today says President

The power of feel love for and joy that Christmas brings has exacting meaning in Sri Lanka today as we come closer to bringing down the barriers of distrust and overcoming the fear of fear that have torn our society unconnectedly for so long said President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a Christmas Day communication.
"The Spirit of Christmas has better meaning as it reaches out to soothe the poor and distress among humans, defend all beings that tear this earth with us, and is well-known with the effortlessness of Christian education," the message said.
Full book of the message
The fair of Christmas brings to the world the glad news of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, more than two millennia ago.
The message of universal love, compassion and pardon given to us by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has increase all through the world transcending all barriers of country, nationality, race, ethnicity and verbal communication.
The spirit of love and joy that Christmas brings has special relevance in Sri Lanka today as we come closer to bringing down the barriers of mistrust and overcoming the fear of terror that have torn our civilization apart for so long.
The birth of the youngster Jesus in a modest stable in Bethlehem, signifies the wider vision of Christian love which seeks to embrace all sentient beings and the kind aid of usual world. In today's world pressed into tragedy through human greed. The strength of Christmas has greater meaning as it reaches out to comfort the poor and distress among humans, protects all beings that split this earth with us, and is well-known with the ease of Christian education.
I wish you a Happy and nonviolent Christmas.