Dec 03, Colombo: In a statement issued on Friday, the European Union strongly deplored the practice of recruiting child soldiers by both LTTE and the breakaway rebel faction Karuna group and urged the LTTE to immediately cease recruiting child soldiers and release the recruited children without delay.

Expressing concern that Karuna group is also abducting children, the EU urged the Sri Lankan government to take immediate steps to release all the children being held by the Karuna group and credibly investigate the alleged involvement of certain elements of government security forces and bring the responsible persons to justice.

The statement said that EU is deeply concerned about the situation of children affected by armed conflict in Sri Lanka and stressed the need to protect children in all circumstances.

“The deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka has left children in a growingly insecure situation. The recruitment of children to hostilities has continued as have abductions of children from their families in order to recruit them, both of which are in violation of applicable international law,” it said. City Bank Card, Chase low rate loan, American Express