In a letter to the LTTE chief, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has again urged the Tiger hierarchy to seriously address this issue. The SLMM asserts that despite the peace process, over 20 cases of children being abducted by the LTTE have been reported to the SLMM this month.

In total the SLMM claims it has received over 350 complaints of children having been kidnapped by the LTTE.

The SLMM has warned that if the LTTE do not take steps to stop children being forced to join its cadre, the issue can have serious repercussion both locally and internationally.

Last week, Batticaloa Bishop, Kingsley Swamipillai, also joined the protest and wrote to the LTTE appealing to the Tigers to take action and stop the kidnapping of children.

The issue is to be discussed also with the LTTE's chief negotiator, Dr. Anton Balasingham who is expected to arrive in the Island later this month. Published: Tue Jan 21 02:26:38 EST 2003

Yogachandran Somachandran (14yrs, born 4th October 1988) of 33, 2nd Cross Street, Mamangam (a suburb of Batticaloa town), was forcibly conscripted by the LTTE on the 11th of January, 2003. Today morning, 21st January, the mother was seen outside the Mamangam LTTE office with a can of kerosene threatening to immolate herself if her son is not released immediately. Published: Tue Jan 21 10:48:40 EST 2003

The Indian government has stated that it is already working out modalities to send back to the Island, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who have said they wish to return home in view of the present peace process and its optimistic outcome for a negotiated solution.

The Sri Lankan government has promised to secure citizenship for all those who married Indians while in India as well as for refugee children born in India after 1983. Published: Tue Jan 21 02:26:36 EST 2003