Forced recruitment on massive scale by Tigers in North
February 3rd, 2007
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)are currently engaged in a massive campaign of forced recruitment in the North. The current phase of forced recruitment began in June last year and was accelerated from October onwards. The past few weeks have seen the campaign being conducted on a massive scale. It is estimated that over 10,000 persons may have been conscripted in the last eight months.
The Eastern Province has been the focus of attention in the sphere of abductions, conscription and forced recruitment in the recent past. The LTTE breakaway faction led by former tiger eastern region commander Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias “Col” Karuna has been actively engaged in child conscription and forced recruitment in the East. Security forces are said to be complicit in this campaign undertaken by the Karuna faction known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP).
A recent 100 page report released on Jan 24th by the New York based Human Rights Watch titled “Complicit in Crime: State Collusion in Abductions and Child Recruitment by the Karuna Group,” documents this issue vividly. UN Special envoy Allan Rock has also spotlighted this phenomenon in a statement issued in Colombo last year after a ten day fact – finding mission to Sri Lanka.
The UN Secretary – General has also submitted a report on Jan 16th to the UN Security council on the situation. The UN security council’s working group on children and armed conflict will examine and discuss the Sri Lankan issue on February 9th.
Apart from the TMVP involvement and complicity by the security forces the “mainstream” LTTE is also engaged in abductions and conscriptions. The UN Secy – Gen as well as the HRW have charged the LTTE of continuing with forced recruitment and not honouring earlier pledges and assurances made to the UN on this issue. Targetted measures against the LTTE have been recommended.
The Eastern province has seen much activity in this regard after the split in the LTTE in 2004. Thousands of cadres who dropped out or escaped from the LTTE after the split were targetted again by both parties. Also both the LTTE and TMVP are abducting and forcibly recruiting new persons into their respective organizations. Some instances have been reported in the media while the UNICEF and organizations like the UN too have monitored incidents.
While the focus has been on the volatile east the actions of the LTTE in the north have not received the same glare of publicity. Lack of access to the LTTE dominated regions in the Northern mainland is the chief contributory factor to this state of affairs. The unwillingness of many Tamil people to publicly articulate their grievances against the LTTE is another reason for the situation. The Tamil community grapevine is humming with tales of tiger abductions but few are willing to come forward openly.
The main reason is fear of repercussions at the hands of the LTTE and its minions. Another reason is the feeling that the Tamil cause would be weakened if accusations are levelled against the LTTE. Family members of those conscripted are also afraid to speak out because the lives of those abducted may be in jeopardy. Families have been explicitly warned of such consequences if details of abductions are leaked out.
Besides with the families also residing in LTTE controlled areas they themselves are in danger.The prevailing totalitarian control of society by the LTTE prevents people speaking out except for communicating their distress to trusted persons. All these reasons have helped the LTTE to get away with continuous abductions and forced recruitment.
The scale and intensity of forced recruitment has increased in the past few months. It has always been the LTTE position that the movement faces a shortage of personnel. If enough numbers are forthcoming the elusive goal of Tamil Eelam would be a reality they say.
In recent times there is much talk of a massive counter – strike against the armed forces by the LTTE. Additional cadres are necessary for this it is said. One reason attributed to the LTTE “passivity” in recent times is that nothing “major” would be undertaken until the recruitment target is reached.
While the military priorities and objectives are given pride of place the human dimension is once again lost sight of. The sad irony is that all these wars are being supposedly fought for the liberation and upliftment of the Tamil people! What has been happening however is that the position of the Tamil civilians get worse day by day. Liberation is no longer the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The LTTE may want more and more people to join up and fight but the ordinary Tamils are in no mood to oblige. They simply want to be left alone to pick up the pieces of their fractured lives and get on with living. This is not their war any more. The tigers may celebrate death but the people want life however miserable it may be under present conditions.They do not want their children to die. Which parent will want that?
The LTTE had earlier started the process of civilian arms training. All able bodied persons from 16 to 45 were required to undergo some physical training and learn techniques of self – defence. Those willing to go the extra – mile were given more intensive training and forged into an auxiliary outfit known as “Ellai Padai” or border force. They function mainly as helpers to the LTTE cadres in border areas.
Another category of persons is selected out of the original batches of trainees and given further training. They are supposedly reservists and called “Makkal Padai” or peoples force.These people are allowed to get on with normal civilian life but are required to show up whenever necessary or wanted. Most members of these civilian militias are not willing to fight or die. But they have no choice and are reluctantly compelled to go along with tiger diktat.
A recent phenomenon was the perceived reluctance to forcibly conscript children and others and co-opt them directly into their ranks. One reason for this was the LTTE participation in the peace process and its desire to enhance its international image. As a result the LTTE allowed most children to study without forcing them into the movement. But with measures like first – aid training the student population was also forced to go for training camps. It was one such batch of students learning leadership skills and first – aid that was bombed at the former Chencholai premises last year.
What is happening now is a direct campaign of forced recruitment. The LTTE is mainly targetting those over 17 and under 35 in this campaign. The tigers are reportedly not going in for those under 17. There have been some instances where a public “show” is made of the LTTE returning under – age children to their parents. The children apparently had come on their “own” to the LTTE but the tigers “ever mindful ” of the rights of children are returning them to the parents. The tigers have also been handing over to the UNICEF batches of under – age recruits every year.
Technically what is going on now in the tiger – dominated north is not a child conscription campaign. It is a campaign of abductions and forcible recruitment of the over seventeens. Even those under 18 are deemed children but the LTTE for some reason has lowered it to 17 in its areas. Those aged 17 are not sent to the frontline till they turn 18 claim the LTTE. They are used as helpers in camps till they become 18. Whatever the LTTE may say the universally accepted legal position is that all those under 18 years of age are “children”.
The intensification and acceleration of the LTTE campaign to forcibly recruit those between 17 and 35 into their ranks directly has caused much resentment amid the Tamil people. They have no way to resist or protest. Some have gone into hiding. Others have found ways to leave or escape from those areas. Those detected of trying to escape have been punished. The LTTE has also infiltrated the Govt controlled areas of Mannar , Vavuniya and even Jaffna districts and abducted people. The full force of tiger conscriptions is faced by the people of Kilinochchi and Mullaitheevu districts.
The LTTE which boasts of a parallel administration has set up its monitoring apparatus in the areas it controls. There are two or more LTTE operatives functioning as “grama sevakhas” in each village. They are in possession of all family details in every household in their areas of authority. LTTE operatives armed with such particulars visit each home and “press gang” the reluctant young men and women into joining them. If unsuccessful at day – time the tigers return at night. Nocturnal raids are a regular feature now.
All students in the Advanced level classes are being compelled to undergo training in self – defence and first – aid. The training period is between two to four weeks.The bright ones are identified and brainwashed or forcibly recruited. It is said that families of great heroes and serving LTTE members are exempted.
Many of the parents have stopped sending children to schools. Young people seldom move around publicly. If they are seen the chances of being “taken” are very high. Some parents avoid going out to work and stay home under the impression that they could prevent their children being taken.
A recent incident in Kilinochchi illustrates the pathetic predicament of ordinary people. A family of five in Aanandapuram in Kilinochchi was killed in bombing by the Air Force. Two of those killed were boys aged 18 and 20 respectively. The boys were kept at home to avoid being conscripted by the LTTE at school. Tragically “Yaman” came for them via an Israeli K- fir.
One way of avoiding conscription was to marry since married persons were not forcibly recruited. So many people in tiger controlled areas began marrying early. With the present recruitment drive being launched in June last year the rate of marriages shot up among young people. The LTTE has now declared that all marriages after August 2006 are null and void.
Regardless of marital status the new grooms and brides are being conscripted. The LTTE has also gone to the extent of declaring a moratorium on marriages till a particular age is reached. Males cannot marry till they are 40 and females till 35. This is only a temporary measure assures the LTTE.
The LTTE has also banned the movement of people to Govt controlled areas. People are allowed out only for specific reasons on a very strict basis. In most instances someone living in the Wanni has to stand surety. If the person does not return the person who stood surety wll be detained and punished. The LTTE is very strict in disallowing people between 12 and 17 from leaving the Wanni.
The people particularly the mothers are resisting as much they can. But most efforts are futile. Some of the stories related are pathetic. One mother fell on the ground in front of a tiger vehicle in a desperate attempt to block it from driving away with her son. The LTTE driver callously drove over the woman’s leg crushing the bone.
In another incident the frantic mother tried to cling on to her son but was pushed away roughly. She fell down and hit her forehead on a stone. Seeing the wife bleed the elderly husband/ father got angry and slapped the tiger cadre. The tigers were enraged.”Engalukku Kai Neetta thuninjitiyo?” (Are you brave enough to raise your hand against us?) they shouted. Thereafter the old man was given a merciless thrashing and was hospitalised.
In one case the 21 year old brother was given permission to go to Colombo in June last year to welcome an uncle who was visiting from abroad. His family guaranteed his return in three months. While he was in Colombo the LTTE recruitment drive escalated. Family members urged the son not to return but stay in Colombo and try to go abroad. When the LTTE went to the house the family said that the young man was sick and needed medical treatment in Colombo.
The tigers took away the 16 year old sister and said she would be released if proof of the brothers medical condition was supplied. The brother got himself admitted to a private hospital and after some “doctoring” with some sympathetic help by those concerned sent the the necessary “paperwork” to convince the LTTE of his medical condition. The LTTE rejected the documents and now wants the family to give them medical records from a Govt hospital!. The sister is still under tiger custody.
The LTTE slogan for recruitment was “Veetukku Oru Veeran Allathu Veeranganai” ( One hero or heroine rom each house). This is now being strictly enforced. All households are being forced to send one member. If those eligible escape or avoid being recruited another is taken away as “hostage”. Those protesting or objecting are assaulted severely. Some gave been detained for indefinite periods.
An LTTE member had absconded from the tigers after being sent to Vavuniya to do political work after the ceasefire. He came to Colombo and then went abroad. This was in 2003. After making inquiries from the family the LTTE did not do anything. But recently the LTTE came to the house and wanted the “escapee” to return to the LTTE again. When told that he was now abroad the tigers took away his younger sister aged 15. The family was told that the girl would be sent home if the brother returned to the Country and the movement.
Some people have sent their children or even moved out of the LTTE controlled areas through circuitous jungle routes. There is much hardship and danger but people risk it rather than see children being conscripted. The LTTE’s elite “leopard” commano unit also prowls these jungle routes keeping up vigil. While some people have managed to escape many have been caught and punished.
One family had twin sons in their twenties. The LTTE wanted one to join up. The family tried to escape through a jungle route and was caught. As punishment both sons were taken away.
One particularly sad incident is about a young girl in Puthukudiyiruppu. She was the only daughter in the family and very clever in studies. Her elder brothers had either died as LTTE “Maaveerar” or gone abroad. The family was however worried because the girl did not attain “age” for many years. Finally she became a “periya pillai ” (loku Lamaiya) at the age of 18. The parents were so happy that they had a comparatively grand celebration on the “day of pouring water”. (thanni vaarkum naal). Two days later the tigers came and took her away leaving the parents devastated.
Some families from Allaipiddy and Mankumban relocated to the Wanni after the spate of killings by the Navy and EPDP last May. They felt the LTTE controlled Wanni was safer than their own villages. Recently some youngsters from these displaced families went missing. Family members rushed to the LTTE “Kaavalthurai” (Police) run by Nadesan. The Eelam “cops” promised to inquire into the matter. It was only some days later that enlightenment dawned on the families that the” fences had devoured the crops.”
Among those taken away by the LTTE are some girl students staying with Catholic sisters at a nunnery and attending a convent. The tigers took those over 17 forcibly. Church leaders have appealed to the LTTE hierarchy but do not publicise the incident for obvious reasons.
The LTTE has also been abducting young persons in the Govt controlled areas of Mannar, Vavuniya and even Jaffna. Age or marital status is not a bar when it comes to abducting those in Govt controlled areas. They are taken to LTTE controlled areas clandestinely and forcibly recruited. TULF President Veerasingham Aanandasangaree alleges that most incidents of youths abducted in Jaffna during daytime and then going missing are perpetrated by the LTTE.
The TULF president has also alleged that the use of mobile phones by members of the public has been banned by the LTTE in the Wanni. Anyone found using one is penalised.All foreign calls can be taken only from LTTE run communication centres. The numbers have to be registered in the mornings. The calls limited to 5 minutes per call are allowed in the evenings. The time in between is used by the LTTE to verify details about those called alleges Sangaree.
Still there are some who have managed to come out of the Wanni. This is mainly due to nepotism and.or corruption. High ranking tiger leaders who have sent their own children abroad for higher studies are known to have intervened in some instances and ensured the “sending away” of close relatives. In other cases massive donations have been paid “officially” to the LTTE and “unofficially” to tiger officials for people to get way. Some of these escapees are treated as LTTE suspects in the Govt controlled areas.
This then is the grim, gloomy scenario unfolding in the LTTE dominated north. The so called liberators of the Tamil people are busy recruiting people forcibly to be conscripted into tiger ranks. The rationale is manpower requirement necessary to launch the “Iruthi Por” (final war). All oppression is being justified as being necessitated by the Tamil cause.
Ordinary Tamil civilians want no part of this war. They only want to be left alone so that they can get along with their life. Sadly that is being denied to them. The tigers, anti – tiger groups and security forces are all together crushing the hopes and aspirations of the ordinary Tamil while blaming each other. That is the Tamil tragedy!.
Related: Human Rights Watch Report – 3
Tigers still conscripting children says Human Rights Watch
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