1000 children ‘still missing’ since war

By Jeyapragash Nallusamy
BBC Tamil service

Relatives of missing people seeking help to find their loved ones (file photo)

30% of missing children were last seen in Govt controlled areas, say authorities

Nearly 1000 children who went missing during the final phase of the war against the Tamil Tigers are still unaccounted for, authorities say.

Almost 600 children out of 1800 have been reunited with their families by UNICEF with the coordination of several organizations, Vavuniya Government Agent (GA) PSM Charles told BBC Tamil service.

According to UNICEF reports, 30 percent of those disappeared children were last seen in government controlled areas and another 64 percent were recruited by the LTTE.

Ms Charles also said that with the help of UNICEF, actions are underway to find out whereabouts of those missing children as she received tearful pleas from more than 1000 parents in the region.

The war against the LTTE came to an end in May 2009 after the government troops claimed military victory over the rebels.

Nearly 300,000 people were displaced from LTTE controlled areas to government controlled IDP camps during the last two years of final war.

And thousands of former Tamil Tiger cadres who surrendered to the military forces were kept in special camps in where, government says, that they are being released once they are rehabilitated.