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are afraid to report cases, and these numbers do not reflect the forced recruitment of
young men over 18.
In February 2007 Human Rights Watch observed armed children guarding Karuna
political offices in plain view of the Sri Lankan army and police. A top Karuna Eastern
commander was seen riding atop an army personnel carrier. Armed Karuna cadre
openly roamed the streets in Batticaloa district in sight of security forces, and in
some cases they jointly patrolled with the police.
President Rajapaksa and other Sri Lankan officials have repeatedly promised that
the government would investigate the allegations of state complicity in Karuna
abductions and hold accountable any member of the security forces found to have
violated the law. To date, however, the government has taken no effective steps. No
member of the security forces is known to have been disciplined or prosecuted for
committing these illegal acts. There is now a clear pattern of complicity by the
security forces in abductions, extrajudicial executions, and extortion committed by
this group.
Human Rights Watch asked the Sri Lankan government the status of the
investigation announced by President Rajapaksa. Prior to any announced results, the
government said that it “has no complicity with the Karuna group in any allegations
of child recruitment or abduction.” This calls into question the sincerity of the
government’s commitment to an investigation.
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Human Rights Watch August 2007