Sri Lanka: Whether the LTTE carried out a "mass recruitment" of Tamil youth in the Vanni in November 1995 and whether the LTTE has ever practised mass recruitment

INFORM's Sri Lanka Information Monitor reports that by the end of November 1995, both the LTTE and the army were "engaged in recruitment operations" (Nov. 1995, 5). According to INFORM, reports from Kilinochchi stated that "the LTTE had launched a very aggressive recruitment campaign in the Vanni" (ibid.). Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to the 15 December 1995 issue of Tamil Times, the "Voice of Tigers" radio had reported that the LTTE had begun "an intensive recruitment drive among the displaced people to join as Tiger cadres" (9). Tamil Times also carried excerpts from a 6 December 1995 LTTE statement, which stated that hundreds of Tamil youth were joining the LTTE ranks daily, including 50 youth who had pledged allegiance the previous day in the Vanni (ibid.).

In late 1995, AFP referred to un-named Tamil sources who reported that the LTTE had "decreed" that every Tamil family should provide one member to the LTTE to help them push the government forces out of the North (AFP 6 Dec. 1995; ibid. 12 Dec. 1995).

Documentary sources, however, are vague when referring to LTTE recruitment practices and provide little detail. For example, they report that the LTTE "launched" a "recruitment drive" in the North in September 1995 (AFP 12 Sept. 1995a; ibid. 12 Sept. 1995b; HRW 1995), a "massive recruitment campaign" in the Jaffna peninsula in November 1995 (Xinhua 10 Nov. 1995), a "major recruitment drive" in Jaffna peninsula and Kilinochchi on 10 November 1995 and "a recruitment drive" on 26 November 1995 (Sri Lanka Information Monitor Nov. 1995, 2); an "all-out recruitment drive" (AFP 6 Dec. 1995) and a "major recruitment drive" in the North in December 1995 (ibid. 12 Dec. 1995), a "conscription campaign" in Trincomalee in January 1997 (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 7 Jan. 1997), and an alleged "mass conscription of children in the remaining areas under LTTE control, especially in the northeastern Mullaittivu District" in December 1997 (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 17 Dec. 1997). However, none of these sources indicate the number of recruits obtained through these LTTE recruitment drives, nor whether the recruits voluntarily joined the LTTE or were forced to do so.

According to media reports, the LTTE also operate "recruitment centres": in September 1995 Jaffna residents and aid workers stated that the LTTE had set up them up to recruit "school children" (AFP 12 Sept. 1995b). In mid-August 1997 there were reports that these centres were also emerging in forests in Batticaloa District (PTI News Agency 13 Aug. 1997). The LTTE has "called" for volunteers (ibid. 4 Dec. 1995; AFP 3 Dec. 1995; ibid. 5 Dec. 1995; ibid. 6 Dec. 1995) or has "enticed" children to join (ibid. 12 Dec. 1995).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 12 December 1995. "Tigers Recruiting Children to Battle Troops: UNICEF." (NEXIS)

_____. 6 December 1995. "Tigers Mount Enlistment Drive to Fight Back." (NEXIS)

_____. 5 December 1995. "Sri Lanka Marks Fall of Jaffna, Vows to Crush Tigers." (NEXIS)

_____. 3 December 1995. " LTTE Chief for Building up Resistance to Sri Lankan Troops." (NEXIS)

_____. 12 September 1995a. "Military Operation a Blessing for Tiger Recruitment: Rights Report." (NEXIS)

_____. 12 September 1995b. Jawed Naqvi. "Sri Lanka Tamil Rebels Recruit Kids to Fight War." (NEXIS)

Human Rights Watch. 1995. Human Rights Watch World Report 1996. New York: Human Rights Watch.

PTI News Agency [New Delhi, in English]. 13 August 1997. "Tamil Rebels Reportedly Shifting Bases East as Army Advances." (BBC Summary 14 Aug. 1997/NEXIS)

_____. 4 December 1995. "Internal Affairs; Tamil Tiger Leader: No Talks Unless Troops Withdraw from Jaffna." (BBC Summary 15 Dec. 1995/NEXIS)

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service [Colombo, in English]. 17 December 1997. "Sri Lanka: LTTE Depending on 'Baby Brigade' To Launch Terrorism." (FBIS-TOT-97-351/WNC)

_____. 7 January 1997. "Sri Lanka: LTTE Leaders Reportedly Order Conscription." (FBIS-NES-97-004/WNC)

Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. November 1995. Colombo: INFORM.

Tamil Times [Surrey]. 15 December 1995. Vol. 14, No. 12. "News Review."

Xinhua. 10 November 1995. "Sri Lanka's Tamil Rebels Launch Recruitment Campaign." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Amnesty International. August 1996. (AI Index: ASA 37/08/96). Sri Lanka: Wavering Commitment To Human Rights.

     DIRB. August 1996. Sri Lanka: Political and Human Rights Update.

     Resource Centre. International/Indexed Media Review [Ottawa]. Weekly. July 1995-July 1996.

Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. Monthly. September-December 1995.

Tamil Times [Surrey]. Monthly. September 1995-January 1996.

Electronic sources: Internet, IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, WNC.