The State Department report says the during the year, there was credible evidence that the LTTE killed more than 36 members of anti-LTTE Tamil political groups and alleged Tamil informants for the security forces, mainly in the north and east. Both current and former members of anti-LTTE Tamil political parties were targeted by the LTTE. In one high-profile case, the deputy leader of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front was shot and killed in Jaffna in June. The report notes that the LTTE also targeted alleged Tamil informants to the military, killing several during the year. A police officer was also killed in Colombo in an apparent LTTE attack.

The Report says that the LTTE continued to use high school-age children for work as cooks, messengers, and clerks, as well as soldiers. In some cases, the children reportedly helped build fortifications. In the past, children as young as age 10 were said to be recruited and placed for 2 to 4 years in special schools that provided a mixture of LTTE ideology and formal education. The LTTE used children as young as age 13 years in battle, and children sometimes were recruited forcibly. Compulsory physical training, including mock military drills even for children and the aged reportedly occurred. According to LTTE spokesmen, training was meant to keep the population fit; however, it was believed widely that the training was established to gain tighter control and provide a base for recruiting fighters. Individuals or small groups of children intermittently turned themselves over to security forces or religious leaders, saying that they had escaped LTTE training camps throughout the year. Published: Wed Feb 25 21:29:41 EST 2004

Kadiragamar also said " The people of Sri Lanka, men and women have been voting since 1931. We are not political adolescents who require to be nursed through an election. The people of Sri Lanka are not foolish as needlessly to undermine the peace process. The LTTE is a pragmatic and a realistic organization. They too will needlessly not do anything to undermine the peace process. In the name of the alleged 'fragility of the peace process' legitimate democratic debate cannot be stiffed" He pointed out that the politicians may be foolish but the people are wise and they will in due course deliver their judgment on the political parties who come before them to ask for their votes" On Tuesday O' Brien urged Sri Lanka's political parties to keep their rhetoric down in the run up to April elections. He also warned against undermining the fragile peace process with the LTTE. Published: Wed Feb 25 19:46:49 EST 2004

“We are ready to consider supporting the Sri Lanka Freedom Party-Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Alliance if they are willing to give us a good deal,” he said. Rauff Hakeem’s announcement came despite his party signing an agreement with the United National Front early this week, which secured the SLMC’s support to the United National Front.

The SLMC will contest seven districts under the UNF’s banner. They will however contest the conflicted North East province on their own under the SLMC’s ‘tree’ symbol. The Muslim Leader will also contest from the Ampara district, which is incidentally the party’s base. Published: Wed Feb 25 12:13:26 EST 2004