COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office
COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office
COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office
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7 MARCH <strong>2012</strong> SRI LANKA<br />
mainly to victims of domestic abuse. The IP stated that most rape and sexual assault<br />
cases are reported by females aged 16 and under. He commented that relationship<br />
issues led to many assaults due the advanced technology now available to those of that<br />
age i.e. internet, texts, camera phones etc. He was unable to comment on cases<br />
reported by those above the age of 16, as they have not updated their statistics.<br />
However, reports from those above the age of 16 are comparatively lower as many<br />
women remain reluctant to make complaints of rape or sexual assaults. The IP added<br />
that professional counselling services are available for the victims from 08:30 -16:30<br />
daily from Mondays to Fridays.<br />
20.62 The same BHC letter 392 continued:<br />
―The director of the NGO Governance of the Family Planning Association (FPA) of Sri<br />
Lanka stated that with the war coming to and [sic] end there is more outreach in<br />
Northern and Eastern parts of the country. She explained that during the conflict many<br />
Tamil women in the north and east willingly became pregnant in order to avoid being<br />
recruited to fight. Being pregnant allowed them to safeguard themselves from being a<br />
part of the LTTE and allowed them to remain in their family units. However, many were<br />
then separated from their parents and husbands and remained in IDP camps, some for<br />
as long as 3 years, although most have now been re-united with their families,<br />
neighbourhoods and society. One key community project in Mankulam, Jaffna is jointly<br />
managed by the UNFPA and Family Planning Association.‖<br />
See also Violence against women<br />
21. CHILDREN<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
The main text of this <strong>COI</strong> <strong>Report</strong> contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 3 February <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section<br />
to 2 <strong>March</strong> <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Return to contents<br />
Users are recommended to read this section in conjunction with the preceding material<br />
on women, in particular with regard to the position/treatment of girls by the state and<br />
society.<br />
21.01 Sri Lanka ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on 12 July<br />
1991. It subsequently ratified the optional protocols to the UNCRC on the involvement<br />
of children in armed conflict (8 September 2000) and on the sale of children, child<br />
prostitution and child pornography (22 September 2006). (UNHCR Treaty Body<br />
Database, Ratifications and Reservations, Status by Country, undated, website<br />
accessed on 20 September 2010) 393<br />
21.02 UNICEF‘s The State of the World‘s Children 2011: Adolescence – An Age of<br />
Opportunity 394 , dated February 2011, reported that in 2009 the total population (in<br />
thousands) under 18 was 5,850 and that under 5 was 1,784.<br />
392 British High Commission Colombo, Letter dated 30 January <strong>2012</strong><br />
393 UN <strong>Office</strong> of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Sri Lanka, Status of Ratifications,<br />
undated http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/ratification/index.htm date accessed 20 September 2010<br />
394 UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children 2011: Adolescence – An Age of Opportunity<br />
http://www.unicef.org/sowc2011/pdfs/SOWC-2011-Main-<strong>Report</strong>_EN_02092011.pdf date accessed 31<br />
May 2011, Table 6<br />
155