Sri Lanka to release all LTTE child soldiers by May

The Sri Lankan government plans to release all former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) child soldiers, currently being rehabilitated at various centres, by May 10.

Around 510 child soldiers below 18 years of age had surrendered to the army in May last year following the defeat of the LTTE and are undergoing a one-year rehabilitation following a court order.

They were produced before a magistrate and the court has ordered the government to release the child soldiers after the rehabilitation programme.

National Child Protection Authority chairman Jagath Wellawatte said the covernment recently handed over 150 child soldiers to their parents and guardians. Another 273 children are continuing studies at a centre in Ratmalana in Colombo suburbs.

"We are taking steps to release all the child soldiers by May 2010," the State owned Daily News quoted him as saying.

There are some parents who did not want to accept their rehabilitated children. In such instances, the government has to reproduce them before magistrates and act on their instructions, he said.

"What I believe is that the authorities must obtain a post rehabilitation evaluation of the child soldiers such as how they engage with society and put into practise their vocational trainings received at the rehabilitation centres," Wellawatte said.