In Sri Lanka, the United Nations is hard at work laying the groundwork to rehabilitate child soldiers who fought in the civil war against the Sri Lankan government.
Thousands of young boys and girls were used as armed soldiers in the conflict that saw (the rebel group) the Tamil Tigers defeated in May of this year. (The Tigers are also known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam—the LTTE for short.)
The use of children in armed conflict is prohibited by both the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and an optional protocol accompanying the CRC that sets the definition of a child soldier at age 17 and under, and not age 15 and under (which is the age set out in the CRC). The optional protocol offers children living in the states that are party to the CRC more protection.
The former child soldiers of Sri Lanka have been separated from their families for a long period of time. Reintegrating these children into their communities successfully is a difficult challenge; oftentimes, children who have been illegally drafted into armed groups will have committed acts of brutality or murder against members of their own community by the time they are freed. As such, they may not be welcomed back and can sometimes face ostracism. At best, this leaves them little better off than orphans.
Especially important is protecting girls, who are exposed to increased vulnerability to sexual abuse both during and immediately after the end of conflicts.
Moreover, communities must be rebuilt once a peace agreement has been reached. Special UN Envoy for Children and Armed Conflict Patrick Cammaert, upon meeting with 300 children who were forcibly enlisted into the LTTE, commented, “Demining and rebuilding infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, housing, and child protection services must be prioritized.”
Child charities and aid groups vehemently feel that it is important not to treat these children as criminals, for many have been abducted, sold, misled, or otherwise taken forcefully from their homes. In fact, legislation protecting children—such as that making provision for special juvenile justice systems—makes a point of emphasizing the impressionability and special position of children, which entitles them to unique protection.
This news comes at the same time that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has announced that Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy will travel to Nepal in order to discuss the country’s 3 000 child soldiers.