Enemy Of My Enemy Is Still An Asshole
The LTTE are some of the worst child recruiters in the world. Like suicide bombing, they pioneered the form and exploit it today. Child recruitment is terrible for obvious reasons, but the LTTE is worse in that it abducts the great majority of its child soldiers (see below). So, not only are children kidnapped, they are also forced into grueling military training, beaten, thrown into traumatic combat, and shot if they try to escape (HRW). When Karuna split he released more than 1,800 children who were subsequently re-recruited by the LTTE, and by Karuna. ‘Since May of this year, 135 cases of under-age recruitment by abduction have been reported to UNICEF, with evidence that this trend is accelerating’ (Rock Statement, referencing Karuna specifically). Karuna was LTTE and to think that a tiger is suddenly going to change his stripes is foolish. By helping Karuna, the Sri Lankan government supports and participates in child recruitment. It’s no big revelation.
Background: LTTE
The LTTE recruits children to fight. This is partly out of ruthlessness and partly out of necessity. There has been a mass exodus from the North and East of 2-300,000 people, not to mention about 14,000 cadres killed. The LTTE simply doesn’t have the manpower to wage the violence it promotes, so it gets children to do it for them. This is fucked up on many levels, but it is just one part of how the LTTE has deeply cannibalized the North and East.
The LTTE is one of the first insurgent groups to use children as combatants and suicide bombers. Assessments of LTTE soldiers killed in combat during the 1990s found that between 40-60% of the dead combatants were under the age of seventeen.
The total child recruitment by the LTTE, since the signing of the ceasefire agreement till 2004 end, is estimated at 3,516 children.
It is important to note here that the peace process has brought an unexpected twist to the child soldier issue. People are no longer willing to ‘donate’ their children to the LTTE. This has resulted in the increased abduction of children by the LTTE. As per the Human Rights report 2004, in 1994 one in nineteen child recruits was abducted, while the rest volunteered. Whereas in 2004, only one in nineteen volunteered, as due to the ceasefire, people see no reason to donate their children to the LTTE (Cost of Conflict)
That’s from a Strategic Foresight report I discussed earlier. It’s not big secret that the LTTE recruits children, and Human Rights Watch has been covering it,
The LTTE has a long history of recruiting children as soldiers and continues to do so in areas it controls. A Human Rights Watch report published in November 2004 documented LTTE recruitment of thousands of children since the beginning of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement. The report found that the LTTE often used threats, intimidation and sometimes abduction to bring children into its ranks. Prior to the ceasefire, children were routinely used in combat, and often deployed on suicide missions.68 During 2006, UNICEF reported that it had received an average of about 55 reports per month of children being recruited into the LTTE forces, though the actual figure is believed to be several times higher (HRW on Protecting Civilians)
So, the LTTE recruits child soldiers and everyone from human rights groups to NGOs to the Sinhala Chauvinists rightly berates them for it. It is a despicable process. It destroys lives and the future of the Tamil and Sri Lankan people. It should be condemned.
Background: Karuna
Before the Karuna faction split off, they were LTTE. I repeat, they were LTTE. That means all the bad stuff the LTTE did, they did as well. Suicide bombings, child recruitment, disappearances, assassinations, you name it. Any criticism of the LTTE applies equally to Karuna because they were LTTE
The TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal [Karuna's group] has been accused by human rights groups such as AHRC in the increasing involuntary disappearances of civilians in the Jaffna peninsula. They have been accused of taking part in death squad activity against civilians. They are also accused of child soldier recruitment by the UNICEF and in murdering Tamil civilians by the US State Department’s annual country report (from Wikipedia, which includes extensive citations on this para)
This is no surprise. A Tiger may wear a suit, but he doesn’t change his stripes. On child soldiers in particular,
Since June 2006, the Karuna group abducted more than 100 boys for their forces from several towns in Batticaloa district. After a decline in reported abductions in July, abductions by the Karuna group rose sharply in August after fighting between government forces and the LTTE intensified. Local human rights groups said that the location, time and manner of the abductions—all in government-controlled territory—strongly indicate that the abductors were from the Karuna group and not members of the LTTE (HRW on Protecting Civilians)
Karuna is just as bad as the LTTE, even if he’s ‘on our side’. His methods are still despicable, not only for the disappearances, murders, and assassinations, but for the children abducted to fight. He may be the ‘enemy of our enemy’, but he’s still an asshole.
Karuna and the Government
When Karuna split from the LTTE, that was a boon for GOSL. The LTTE immediately lost thousands of soldiers, including about 1,800 children. One of the East’s complaint was that they were cannon fodder for the Northern leadership, and now that fodder was gone. They also lost land and a skilled commander in Karuna. What was once a formidable enemy became a de facto ally. The Government doesn’t overtly support Karuna, besides allowing that office in Colombo, but it does support Karuna.
There are a number of indications that the GOSL is actively supporting the Karuna group. Known Karuna supporters have been seen moving to and from SLA camps, and it is evident that the security forces and police in some areas are not taking action to prevent armed elements from operating.
There were also strong indications that armed groups have started operating in and around Vavuniya. A number of civilians, mainly Tamil businessmen, have been killed during the last few months and it is believed that the main reason behind these killings is an attempt by an armed group to disturb LTTE activities in Vavuniya and strengthen their own position.
SLMM inquiries into incidents of armed violence against civilians in Vavuniya strongly indicate that SLA and Army Intelligence is supporting armed groups in Vavuniya district. (SLMM Report, PDF)
More to the point, most of the people bemoaning the Rock Report (via Jeyaraj) on child soldiers also support Karuna as someone who can weaken the LTTE. I’m not saying that supporting Karuna is even a bad strategic decision. All I’m saying is
Don’t Act Surprised
When you hear shit like,
“The mission also found that the so-called Karuna faction continues to abduct children in government-controlled areas of the east, particularly Batticaloa District. Since May of this year, 135 cases of under-age recruitment by abduction have been reported to UNICEF, with evidence that this trend is accelerating.
The mission also discovered a disturbing development involving the Karuna abductions. It found strong and credible evidence that certain elements of the government security forces are supporting and sometimes participating in the abductions and forced recruitment of children by the Karuna faction.
The mission met with the parents of many of the abducted children in Batticaloa District. As a result, it learned of eye-witness evidence that links the Karuna faction abductions to certain government elements. Based on the evidence as a whole, the mission concluded that some government security forces are actively participating in these criminal acts (Rock Report).
This isn’t news. The LTTE recruits children. Karuna recruits children. They both murder, assassinate and disappear people at will. They are both brutal, despotic and cruel. Just cause one happens to be attacking your enemy doesn’t make him a good guy. By supporting Karuna, even if only logistically through checkpoints, the government supports child recruitment. This is the ally GoSL has chosen and those are their methods. You can either rein Karuna in and protect the children in government held territory, or you can accept the blood on your hands. Bemoaning the BBC or Norway is fun, but we already have much worse bedfellows. By supporting Karuna, Sri Lanka now tacitly supports child soldiers, assassinations, and more. Perhaps this is the cost of war and perhaps it’s strategic, but it’s certainly no surprise.
I recently wrote about gay marriage, which is not even on the radar in Sri Lanka. But we have another type of marriage discrimination here as well. Foreign marriage. If you marry someone non Sri Lankan, they can never become a citizen. Their lives and their rights to even be in the same country as their children are permanently unstable, and it’s patently unfair.
When 
I started off not really liking General Sarath Fonseka, him being part of the aggressive war effort. I didn’t support the war (largely cause I thought it would fail), and I thought Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Fonseka were gleefully stomping everything. Fonseka even came out and said “I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people,” in 2008 (
General Sarath Fonseka was arrested on a bunch of trumped up charges, but mainly for daring to threaten Mahinda in a Presidential election. Despite his poor health, Fonseka was arrested in February 2010 and sentence to three years. Word on the street now, however, is that he’ll be released soon. Like any day now. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told 
//amazing Agron //
Indeed amazing Agron!
Indi, while I agree with you that becoming a GoSL ally doesn’t make Karuna change his stripes, I disagree with your statement that the GoSL now suddenly supports child recruitment. Ignoring an ally’s failings doesn’t mean you support that failing. When the US and Coalition used the Northern Alliance against AQ and the Taliban, they had to ignore the poppy growing, slavery, extortion, and all the other little failings of Hekmatyar, Dhost, and the other warlords. It didn’t mean that the US supports drug trafficking and extortion. Churchill & Roosevelt didn’t support Stalin’s brand of communism in WW2 either, but he was still an ally, seen (at the time) as the lesser evil.
True. However, both reports mentioned that these activities go on in government held territory and that Karuna can pass (with abducted children) unchecked through government checkpoints. Also that parents do not get adequate redress through the police. That would be supporting.
Come off it, Indi. Criminals of all types move through checkpoints (I believe you one saw moonshine unloaded from a police car), and complaints of all sorts are often brushed off by the cops. Does that mean that the GoSL supports crime? Of course not. Karuna is an ally, not a friend. Alliances are driven by the exigencies of the moment, and one often can’t choose one’s allies (unlike one’s friends), and usually can’t dictate policy to them. You have to take the bad with the good. Do you think the US supports repression of women in Pakistan, or institutionalised rape? Pakistan is a US ally, not a friend. There IS a difference. The US does support what Israel does, because Israel is a friend, not just an ally.
The Pakistan and Israel analogies don’t hold because this is all on Sri Lankan soil. The US controls no territory in Pakistan or Israel. There are no reports of US Soldiers actively participating in oppression of women or rocket attacks on civilians. There are reports of Sri Lankan ‘government elements’ actively participating in child abductions (at worst) or turning a blind eye. This isn’t a foreign war and this isn’t a distant ally. Karuna operates in Sri Lanka, on territory the government controls.
The situation is more analogous to the US supporting the Ku Klux Clan or the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints in Alabama or Utah. In both cases the groups were prosecuted and are not supported. In Sri Lanka, the government is using Karuna as a strategic weapon against the LTTE, and there are costs to that.
“The Pakistan and Israel analogies don’t hold because this is all on Sri Lankan soil. ”
First of all, many Tamils will tell you that this ISN’T all on SL soil, that part of it is on Eelam soil. Second, I wasn’t using Israel & Pakistan as analogies for the SL situ. I was comparing Israel to Pakistan (as an example of an alliance as opposed to a friendship), and neither to SL.
“The US controls no territory in Pakistan or Israel. ”
My point exactly. That’s why I compared one against the other. If I wanted to compare a US ally to a GoSL ally, I would have picked Saudi Arabia or Tajikistan.
“There are no reports of US Soldiers actively participating in oppression of women or rocket attacks on civilians. ”
You ARE kidding me right????? Do I really need to link you to the Spectre attack on the Afghan wedding party, or the 101st Airborne gang-rape of that 14-year-old?
“There are reports of Sri Lankan ‘government elements’ actively participating in child abductions (at worst) or turning a blind eye. ”
There is the Rock report, yes. So far not fully authenticated. Even if the reports are true, it doesn’t mean the GoSL supports child recruitment. Only that it is guilty of turning a blind eye.
“This isn’t a foreign war and this isn’t a distant ally. ”
Precisely. It’s you who assumed Israel and Pakistan are distant allies of the US (quite the contrary, btw).
Karuna operates in Sri Lanka, on territory the government controls.
“The situation is more analogous to the US supporting the Ku Klux Clan or the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints in Alabama or Utah.”
I fear you are straying into the ridiculous here, Indi. Neither of the above have a common enemy that they share with the US govt. Since your post is titled ‘Enemy of my Enemy is Still an Asshole’, who exactly is the common enemy shared by the KKK, CLDS, and the USA?
Maybe I should have also pointed out that there is a difference between an ally and an auxiliary. The TMVP is the former. Ultimately, the GoSL is barely able to control its parliamentary allies; you can hardly expect it to control its military ones.
[...] The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has meant the loss of life, opportunity and innocence for many children. Indi.ca has a post on the issue. A heartbreaking photograph by Argon with commentary “This womens 15yr old son was abducted by the LTTE (Libeartion Tigers of Tamil Elam). She was desperately trying to run after the truck in which her son together with another 15yr. boy were taken away.” Neha Viswanathan [...]
While you are both right there doesn’t seem to be much of a choice for the government, all things considered. Whether they should have negotiated the Karuna split in the first place we don’t know. But now that it’s been done they have to take the bad with the good as DB says. If the miltary worth of Karuna exceeds the bad press of Alan Rock and others then so be it.
Unfortunately the politics of war doesn’t enable the government to crack down on things I’m sure it would like to crack down on. The GoSL are also cunts. That could be part of the problem. Everbody’s an arsehole.
Well said Indi – there is a fundamental difference between the two and inter-national alliances of convenience cannot be compared so freely with the intra-national variety. I have to disagree with applications of the principles behind David’s analogies for this reason. If there are examples of countries (not of the rogue state variety, please, then you can rationalise anything!) making such gross moral compromises for the sake of tactical advantages, I’d be intrested to hear them. I feel that this particular case of implicit (and it would also seem explicit and active – emphasis on the active, they may not be so much turning a blind eye as helping) support of child recruitment is simply another indication of the troubling lack of credibility of this government, and the army too I am sorry to say David. The plague of assasinations upon tamil politicians and journalists is just the icing on the cake.
I really liked the take you had on this article actually Indi and the fact that either side can interpret it to mean the same; which ever side you see as being your “enemy”, be it LTTE or GoSL, the other side is still inexcusable – or a bunch of assholes as you so rightly put it.
“support of child recruitment is simply another indication of the troubling lack of credibility of this government, and the army too I am sorry to say David”
Oh, please don’t apologise for your biases, Billy. And let’s not turn this into another kick-the-Army fest. Is there anything credible in SL? The journalists are the least credible in the world, the politicians are the same, the NGOs are hardly the trustwirthy beacons of credibility some would wish them to be. But lo, we want our military to be credible. The military is a reflection of you & me, Billy. When we grow a pair of credibilities, so will they.
As a footnote, of the 150,000-strong Army, a tiny fraction is probably being used in liason with the TMVP. To say that the Army is helping child recruiting is like saying Sri Lankan bloggers are Tiger sympathisers.
OK, so the army and government + journalist and peacenicks are not credible. The military are not obligated to be credible, because we are all not credible therefore there is no point discussing what they get up to or dealing with it, and there is no point criticising it because they are just a reflection of us, or are we a reflection of them? Pointless to debate. You may admit that they are not credible but are demanding that we should not pass any judgement on this fact? I guess we might as well not talk about it then. So ends the argument
Your comment on only a small fraction of the armed forces being involved and subsequent analogy of bloggers is a bit of a red herring. This government presides over an army, some factions of the army are involved in morally questionable activities of such a scale that it requires some kind of response. But the government refuses to accept any blame and pretends nothing is happening. That is the issue. Of course the army will lack credibility if they condone and cover up such activities, as will the government. It’s rather more serious than a few left wing bloggers. As rulers of a “sovereign nation” GoSL are responsible for the actions of their army. In turn the head of the army is responsible for actions of its troops. If it does not admit there is a problem/address the problem, that indicates that it condones/supports these activities. There is a line of responsibility here, unlike a random bunch of bloggers scattered through cyberspace.
“You may admit that they are not credible but are demanding that we should not pass any judgement on this fact? I guess we might as well not talk about it then. So ends the argument”
When someone who lacks credibility passes judgement on someone else’s lack of credibility, I do question that. You might as well call them a third world army. Yes, they are. It’s a third world country.If you called them murderers, there’d be something to discuss.
“Your comment on only a small fraction of the armed forces being involved and subsequent analogy of bloggers is a bit of a red herring. ”
It wasn’t an analogy. I was pointing out that both statements were inaccurate.
“This government presides over an army, some factions of the army are involved in morally questionable activities of such a scale that it requires some kind of response. ”
Really? What scale is that, Billy? Could you link me to a source that will give me the numbers of soldiers involved in child recruitment so that I can be privy this “scale”? And “morally questionable activities”? What do you call a war — morally sound?
“There is a line of responsibility here, unlike a random bunch of bloggers scattered through cyberspace. ”
I didn’t say bloggers were responsible, did I? Most of us aren’t even responsible enough to use our own names.
As for the GoSL’s responsibility to admit things, you might wanna check out my answer to Indi. Govt’s NEVER admit ANYthing until forced to by irrefutable evidence. You want admissions, find the proof and you’ll get it.
GoSL soldiers are murderers…
To xyz, no. The Sri Lankan Army doesn’t recruit children or murder opposition as a matter of policy. The Sri Lankan just has a higher responsibility, which the LTTE and Karuna don’t even try to live up to
who are you kidding indi… they are recruiting children and they ARE MURDERING people… it’s well known that the suspects in Joseph Pararajasingam’s assasination were STF… and in the 5 kids in trino – STF… and the army in Muttur and the army and police in Vavuniya…
Ha ha. I think you are mixing up your abbreviations.
Anyhow – yeah fuck it. I’m as tired of flogging that “army is the bad guy” dead horse again, as you are listening to it. Forget I said anything. It’s Friday. I’m outta here.
Sorry David, skimmed your comment above and didn’t notice that Israel and Pakistan weren’t part of the same analogy. I still don’t think it’s valid to compare the GoSL/Karuna relationship to USA/Pakistan. One is a relationship between a nation and a paramilitary and the other is between nations. Pakistan doesn’t oppress American women, whereas Karuna is abducting Sri Lankan children. It’s not like Musharaff staged a military coup in Jersey, he’s literally a distant ally. Perhaps a more apt analogy would be neighbors. I might let my neighbor party and play music in his own house, but if he’s a guest in my house then he damn well better behave.
As per war atrocities, I know that rapes,civilian attacks and abuses happen, Abu Ghraib made that all too clear. In the face of those reports however, the GoUSA doesn’t issue blanket denials, it at least acknowledges the problem. GoSL is making blanket denials when we know that they’re working with Karuna. Even if it is ‘turning a blind eye’, you’re turning a blind eye as children (Sri Lankan children) get abducted. It’s not ‘beating up on the army’ to point that out.
Furthermore, as far as a I know army soldiers follow orders. There is no way that they are going to let armed Tamil paramilitary pass through checkpoints without orders or tacit support from above. There is certainly no way that they would support Karuna in any way without approval from above. This is not just a case of a few bad apples. The Government and Army support Karuna now, and this is what Karuna does. That’s the point of the post. I’m in no way attacking the army for fun, and waving the bloody flag or saying everybody else is incompetent doesn’t make them immune to criticism.
Note that nowhere in my post do I even say that we should stop the abductions (though I think we should). All I’m saying is that we chose to support Karuna and these are the consequences. I think it’s a very dangerous policy, but it could be played right. All I’m objecting to is the denial and excuses.
“I still don’t think it’s valid to compare the GoSL/Karuna relationship to USA/Pakistan. One is a relationship between a nation and a paramilitary and the other is between nations. ”
Beside the point, Indi. I’m pointing out that alliances are between individuals or groups (regardless of status or legitimacy), often (but not always) with divergent ideologies and policies, coming together temporarily to gain a mutual goal (usually shortterm). To expect one partner in the alliance to be responsible for all actions of the other is unrealistic, and even naive. Japan was a British and American ally during WW1. Two short decades later she was the Great Enemy. Do you really think the US supported Japanese policy in Korea in the early 20th Century?
“Pakistan doesn’t oppress American women, whereas Karuna is abducting Sri Lankan children. ”
Karuna is abducting Tamil children. Pakistan is oppressing Pakistani women. All of them are human. What’s your point? That it’s OK because the women are not American? Many say it’s OK cos they’re “only Tamils”. Besides, thousands of Pakistanis were Talibs, direct enemies of the US. Many of the Pakis the US has issue with don’t even see themselves as such, just as Pashtuns. So somehow making out that alliances between nations somehow makes that alliance a higher one is bullshit. The Northern Alliance was just a loose group of Tajiks and Uzbeks, not a nation. A lot of the oppression being carried out right now in Afghanistan is by these allies of the US. Does that mean the US supports that oppression? No, it just ignores it out of convenience. When the Northern Alliance besieged Kunduz, thousands of Pakistani Taliban, and hundreds of ISI agents were airlifted out to Pakistan as a favour to Musharraf, while US special forces secured the LZs. Does that mean the US Army supports the Pakistani fundamentalists?
“It’s not like Musharaff staged a military coup in Jersey, he’s literally a distant ally. Perhaps a more apt analogy would be neighbors. I might let my neighbor party and play music in his own house, but if he’s a guest in my house then he damn well better behave. ”
Musharraf can’t be a distant ally when the US is fighting the bloodier of two wars in his back garden. The US hasn’t fought an enemy on its own soil in two centuries, and to somehow use geographical reasons to determine “distance” won’t hold water. Pakistan is the US’ most important ally in South Asia. Besides, Karuna isn’t in our house, mate. He thinks we’re in his. So he wants us to be polite and not spit betel in the corners.
Sure, it would be nice if this was the US government in charge here, but it’s not. our politicians aren’t so sophisticated at lying, that’s all. In the end, all politicians lie. The investigation of Abu Ghraib was one of the biggest cover ups since Mai Lai. Just like in the latter instance, NOT A SINGLE HIGH RANKING OFFICER WAS EVEN INDICTED! In spite of the fact that it was int policy to have MPs ‘prepare’ the prisoners, it was all blamed on a few retarded rednecks. You’ll find the US govt ain’t as lilly-white as you make out.
“Furthermore, as far as a I know army soldiers follow orders. There is no way that they are going to let armed Tamil paramilitary pass through checkpoints without orders or tacit support from above. There is certainly no way that they would support Karuna in any way without approval from above.”
I never said that the GoSL doesn’t support Karuna, Indi. I’m sure they do. But I’m trying to point out that supporting Karuna is as different to supporting child recruitment, just as supporting Musharraf is different from supporting military dictatorship as the preferred method of national governance
“This is not just a case of a few bad apples. The Government and Army support Karuna now, and this is what Karuna does. That’s the point of the post. .”
Not quite. This is a part of what Karuna does. What the GoSL and the Army support is the TMVP’s war against the LTTE.
“’m in no way attacking the army for fun, ”
Never said you did. I said that to Billy.
“Note that nowhere in my post do I even say that we should stop the abductions (though I think we should). All I’m saying is that we chose to support Karuna and these are the consequences. I think it’s a very dangerous policy, but it could be played right. All I’m objecting to is the denial and excuses”
I had noted that. The only thing I disagreed with (as I said at the beginning) was your accusation that the GoSL supports child recruitment.
Govt of Sri Lanka security forces DO support and participate in the Karuna group’s child soldier recruitment. UNICEF, Alan Rock, and the SLMM have all stated they have evidence….
you all put your blinders back on and bury your heads in the sand…
do you really think that Rock would have said all those things if there wasn’t evidence…?
you’re missing the real point here which is that two independant third parties have gone on record as saying that the GoSL is supporting and protecting the “karuna group” despite all the GoSL’s protestations that they have no relationship. it is a slap in the face to the international community… the GoSL has blatantly lied to them…
“do you really think that Rock would have said all those things if there wasn’t evidence…?”
Yes…I do.
you see, this is the problem with you sri lankans… you think everyone is like you all – corrupt and “out to get you”
you all NEED the foreigners so much (the country would fall apart without all the foreign loans and grants and NGO support)
you all can’t take care of yourselves and you need the white man to support you…
if you sri lankans could get your shit together you wouldn’t need the NGOs and the white man’s help…
but it’ll never happen…
Especially if we don’t know our xyz.
I don’t know about you but some of us have been trying to get our shit together for years. But there’s this mustachioed megalomaniac up north, and assorted cunts down south…that keep fucking things up for us. You might want to have a word with them.
Actually we owe a fair bit to the Govts of China and Japan too… So we need the yellow man to support us as well…
funny
ps – just for the record I don’t attack the army for fun. It brings me no joy to feel that my country’s armed forces are unreliable and engaged in behaviour that I cannot support. If anything I find it completely depressing.
I have to say that I still feel David is dodging the issue.
If personnel within the US army engage in behaviour that is unacceptable (e.g. the systematic torture of the Guantanamo inmates, rape of the Iraqi girl) – the US government has no choice but to accept it, condemn it and deal with it. If the Army were doing these things in the US itself, the implications would probably be even more severe. As Indi rightly points out, it is not a third party we are talking about, but an armed force implicitly supporting human rights abuses against citizens of its own country on national territory. And there is no acceptance of responsibility by the powers that be. That is what contributes to the gravity of the situation.
Also – Rock is merely the messenger, the evidence collected in support of these allegations would have predated his visit. I believe the UN tactically used Rock to relay this as he is based outside SL. It would be fairly impossible for a UN official based in SL to make such statements, as s/he would have been booted straight out of the country.
I am not convinced that the UN would have anything to gain by making these allegations without some pretty strong grounds. Having to spoken to friends within the UN and SLMM, in my view it seems likely that they are true and I struggle to think of a reason why the UN would back such bold statements at risk of being kicked out of SL unless it felt a strong moral obligation to speak out.
Nomates, you’re right that it is depressing when your armed forced don’t adhere strictly to the Geneva Convention among others, however, I think both Indi and DB have taken pains to show that the GoSL troops are not involved in this activity as a matter of policy. Passively ignoring violations does not demand the same level of condemnation as proactive complicity eg. – rounding up of kids for Karuna to pick from.
Rock may have had the evidence, but I would dearly like to see it. I would hate to be hanged on the case Rock made out. But if you try my and present cogent evidence to back your case and if I am indeed guilty, hang me by all means.
Your analogy of the US Forces is one that bolsters Indi’s and DB’s arguments. Guantanamo and Abu Gharib are military policy initiatives. The reason they moved the torture chambers offshore is so that they won’t have to take the criticism of being within their territory. It is nevertheless a US govt. policy to torture terror suspects. The only point in favour of the GoSL is that recruitment of child soldiers – if in fact it does happen – is not something that is a GoSL policy, but an unfortunate circumstance born of a practice conceived by Uncle P himself.
Kicking the UN out will only sully the reputation of a country even further. The UN – if, and only if, it has its facts right, should not be too concerned with justfying its presence in a country.
I was actually referring to the blow up over the pictures that came out of US Army personnel humiliating inmates, that led to the dismissal of a number of soldiers. Events out-with the official policy. The rape of the 14 year old girl was a similar instance where there was evidence and they had to take responsibility. DB is right in pointing out that there has to be hard evidence in order to get them to make an about turn. The GoSL and the US are similar in that if they could have covered it up they of course would have (I think every government in the world would, SL is no different). The GoSL are slightly different in that they somehow manage to do this amazing act of denying everything, even in the face of eyewitness evidence, and of course any investigation tends to end up in frightening Kafka-esque farce (take bindunawewa and successive human rights commission findings and recommendations that have been ignored).
I do think the UN are concerned that they may jeopardise their relationship with the government. They usually tread a very diplomatic and conservative line. As with so many organisations in their position – multi and bi-lateral service providers who don’t want to compromise their access to civilians through upsetting the government – they have to tread very carefully. It is hard to access civilians and provide relief if you blackball either side. When the primary concern is civilian life and you need access to them, and you can only stay/have access to certain areas by the grace of the government, then it is necessary to maintain your relationship with them (and also the LTTE, which is why so many NGOs do talk and work with them in order to get into uncleared areas). Making such startling claims without evidence or proof seem utterly foolish to say the least, and it would be odd for a multi-lateral organisation of the nature of the UN to do so. Look at what is happening, credible international body UN accuses Government, international donors condemn GoSL (and LTTE, of course) of violations. And the government (noted for its credibility and great human rights record in the past right? – I think not!) says that they have all been mislead/are making it up. Really, who would you believe?
I do agree with DB that the nature of this “support” for child recruitment is unclear. Whether they are just turning a blind eye or actively helping the K faction to do this. The UN allegations hint the latter, but as you say, nothing substantial has been released and I do wonder why. The report seems to hinge on eyewitness reports. I suppose exposing the identity of these eyewitnesses would be as good as sticking a bullet in their heads. If the government disputes the authenticity of the eyewitness reports that the UN is going by, then it needs to carry out a full, independent investigation into the affair. There have been calls for an independent investigation of HR abuses for some time now that have been clearly side stepped by the GoSL. It does not seem to be doing much more than debunking the UN at the moment.
Billy, if the UN had your so-called evidence, and was still unwilling to go toe-to-toe with the GoSL (as it has been unwilling to do with the LTTE in the past), all it needs to do is make the “evidence” available to parties with the balls to publicize it. This was what The Leak was invented for. As long as nothing more than eyewitness claims are available, there will be nothing but scoffs from the GoSL. Abu Ghraib and Mai Lai happened because of photographic evidence. Guantanamo doesn’t happen because there is nothing beyond eyewitness claims, which are easily undermined.
I too am quite sure that the UN would not fabricate eyewitness reports, so I’m sure these witnesses exist. Whether their claims are true or not, only evidence can verify.
If it IS verified, and there is proof that GoSL forces are part of the process of child recruitment, you will still not find me wringing my hands with grief. War is dirty, tough shit. If we want Karuna & the TMVP to do the killing and dying instead of Sinhalese boys, so be it. You pay your money and take your chances.
And another thing, all of you seem to be hold up Abu Ghraib as some sort of victory for human rights, truth and freedom, when it couldn’t be further from the truth. As I already pointed out, the only people charged and convicted were redneck MP enlisted troops. The bottom of the barrel. Not a single officer or int operator was even charged. The scandal was nothing more than a PR disaster. It did not change US policy an iota. Prisoners continue to be tortured and abused. All it did was make sure that cameras are not allowed into certain areas.
You’re right about the photos making a difference, and the US being no moral posterboy. The only thing I can say for them is that they acknowledged Abu Ghraib, but honestly Rumsfeld should have been fired then.
However, I don’t think that ‘war is dirty, tough shit’ applies to child soldiers. I will and do ‘wring my hands’ over that. It doesn’t help us win, the PR doesn’t help us negotiate, and it is just deeply wrong. This isn’t a ‘tough shit’ situation. It’s something we can do something about.
Indi, the US could hardly ignore pictures appearing on 60 Minutes or the nationals. Acknowledgement is the VERY LEAST they could do. They did that very least. Then they — oh so magnanimously — convicted a few bottom-rungers. You’d see much the same reaction if you splashed pictures of soldiers involved in the act of child recruitment across the front of the Sunday Times or whatever.
Maybe I was a bit overly cynical in my ‘hand-wringing’ statement. Sure, sending kids out to war is bad. But when you pick (for lack of a better word) allies, you need to be ready to accept that they aren’t always nice guys. Heck, even WE aren’t exactly nice guys. The end doesn’t justify the means, but SOME ends justify SOME means, and those decisions have to be taken.
I guess what it boils down to is whether you believe whether the “ends” you are talking about justify the “means ” which are as yet still unclear. The problem is that there are no clear “ends” to the most affected people – those languishing between the SLA and the LTTE (including some of those kids getting picked up by Karuna and whoever). This blinkered emphasis on the war and the fact that we have to beat the terrorist is a great attempt at smokes and mirrors to deflect interest from the true prize: figuring out a process of devolution. I’m really not interested in military tactical trade offs. Sacrifice a few tamil 13 year olds to the God of war so that we can gain some ground over here. Whatever. Where is it leading to?
Absolutely Billy. I don’t think any of us would dispute you on the fact that arguments whether child soldiers are justifiable or not should even take place. But if the UN is going to hurl unsubstantiated allegations at the GoSL then we will defend it within reason. This does not mean we support the war or the acts alleged in any way or form. Child recruitment is despicable regardless of who does it.
The issue at hand though is the credibility of a nation. And that needs to be jealously guarded. If someone showed me irrefutable proof (once again, within reason) that this was happening I will be very unhappy. But until they do I will be skeptical of the International Watchdogs who bark, often merely to remind the owner they’re there and need to be fed.
“This blinkered emphasis on the war and the fact that we have to beat the terrorist is a great attempt at smokes and mirrors to deflect interest from the true prize: figuring out a process of devolution. ”
Sorry? EMPHASIS on the war???? I don’t think the war NEEDS any further emphasis. It is the single biggest fuckup to ever land in Sri Lanka’s lap. Devolution isn’t the true prize for everyone. Those people caught in the middle, Billy, don’t care about devolution anymore than they care about unity. They care about war, and that it should stop. You can’t jump the war and try to move onto devolution, anymore than you can ignore devolution in order to fight the war.
“I’m really not interested in military tactical trade offs. Sacrifice a few tamil 13 year olds to the God of war so that we can gain some ground over here. Whatever. Where is it leading to?”
If you’re not interested in military tactics or strategy, you don’t go to war. War is all about gaining ground in one place or another. As I’ve repeated oft enough, war is bad, full stop. Everything that happens in war is bad. Death is bad. We (the majority of voters) decided we want war, not diplomacy. If you’re going to fight a war, you have to fight it effectively, not in a half-hearted manner. War is brutal, innocents die. But the idea of war is to win, thats why we use the Sri Lanka Army, and not the Salvation Army. If you’re not willing to fight to win, choose another part.
In the end, this GoSL has fought the war far better than past administrations, taking into account the restrictions imposed.
you’re right david in that the sinhala south chose WAR…
the Tamils didn’t vote – for whatever reason and the sinhala south voted for war…. vat 2 do…
and by the way the people of the NE overwhelmingly voted for the TNA when they ran on a pro-LTTE as the voice of the tamils… Anandasangaree and others didn’t even get elected… and douglass only got 20,000 odd votes… 22 TNA – 1 EPDP
“the Tamils didn’t vote – for whatever reason and the sinhala south voted for war”
Not for “whatever reason”, Vat2do, for the LTTE reason. The LTTE said, no, you don’t deserve democracy yet, folks. Just do as we say. We want war. We want Mahinda. So don’t vote, ‘cos we know you’ll vote for Ranil & peace. The NE Tamils buckled. So in the end, we ALL chose war. The Sinhalese by voting, the Tamils by not voting.
Was there a point to your post, though, other than your usual “it’s not the Tamils’ fault, it’s all the silly Sinhalese fault”?
you all talk about the GoSL like it is a responsible western style democracy…
that’s ridiculous…
Sri lanka isn’t even a democracy… forget about the tamils in the NE, Mahinda won because thousands of UNP supports around the south were denied the ability to vote…
these petty, uneducated polititians and the colombo elite have only replaced the british as the colonial masters… they exploit their own people to further themselves and their “countrymen” while in office…
in the end though the question is:
what can you, the south, the sinhalese, really offer the LTTE or the Tamils as a political solution… No matter how much you disagree with the ISGA… IT WAS A STARTING POINT FOR A DIALOGUE which the GoSL refused to engage in… THERE HAS STILL NOT BEEN ANY COUNTERPROPOSAL.
Sophist, on the question of irrefutable proof. I hark back to my question of the eye witness reports and a desperate, desperate need for an independent commission to investigate these accusations and others (there have been too many to list here). It is (relatively) easy to get eyewitness reports that substantially verify a claim on a site level basis – local level investigations. But to get a true “ruling” that stands up to scrutiny there needs to be a proper, systematic investigation. This coupled with some kind of immunity/anonimity for these eyewitnesses. If I was one of the people Rock was quoting I sure has hell wouldn’t let him pass my name around, would you?! If SLA didn’t make you disappear on a beach somewhere, Karuna would probably gut your entire family.
Surprise, surprise, the government has been blocking all meaningful attempts at this. Of course they would because I can only imagine what conclusions such a commission will come up with. Then they’d be well and truly fucked. Better to maintain this environment of ambiguity and confuse the populace with counter allegations of deceit and propose watered down versions of the needed commission. Sounds like a familiar tactic doesn’t it? Sure GoSL’s been using that on the devolution debate for a while – coming up with the bright idea that we need to study the Panchyat system for a while first, what kind of a ridiculous evasion of the subject, side step was that???. If you keep farting about the issue like that and lying through your teeth it’s a great survival technique. 101 ways to look a little bit like you are doing something while you keep bombing the shit out of the nation.
If GoSL is so secure in the knowledge that it was in no way implicated why does it not allow and facilitate a full, independent investigation? How can irrefutable proof be provided without one?
See, Billy, you still seem to be arguing that the GoSL is indeed guilty of supporting child recruitment. My point is it doesn’t matter whether they are or not. The GoSL has done stuff far worse than this. If the UN (and you) want this to change, you have to find a way to get real evidence — pix, film footage, eyewitnesses who’ll testify before a UN body — whatever. Until then, you might as well piss at the moon, ‘cos nothing will happen
On the question of war and the child soldier debate. I think i’m starting to see where you are coming from. David, you are analysing the situation from a purely strategic perspective, which is fine and relevant. I’m looking at it in the context of the political situation as a whole. E.g. with the understanding that the war was put forward as a means through which to solve a problem and critiquing GoSL’s behaviour from that perspective, rather than compartmentalising the child soldier issue within the frame of winning or losing the war on a tactical level. I suppose the moral contradictions at hand lose their resonance when you are looking at the issue from a purely military perspective.
I don’t see it either as political or military, Billy. It’s a situation that can be sorted out militarily and/or diplomatically/politically. Preferrably a combination of both. Frankly, you can’t think that child recruitment by the TMVP is an issue big enough to win or lose the war. On a moral stand, I find nothing morally sound in going to war and killing thousands of humans to achieve a political goal. We have, however, decided to do so (we, not the GoSL). I would therefore think it’s pointless to debate the morality of tactics and strategies within that war policy, especially since it will probably have no bearing on the military outcome. EG: the RAF and USAAF decided to bomb the crap out of enemy cities as a wartime strategy. This was a morally reprehensible strategy within what is generally considered a morally sound war (destruction of fascism, freedom of the oppressed, blah blah blah). The strategy, however, prolonged the war by hardening German resolution as well as diverting much needed muscle that could have been used in more sensible airraids. Therefore it was both immoral and ineffective. Child recruitment, on the other hand, is an immoral strategy within an immoral war, but one that will likely have no effect on a military outcome.
End the war, Billy, and child recruitment will end.
No I certainly don’t see it as the issue that the war hinges on, of course not! But I don’t think that it is pointless to debate the morality of tactics. I think it is useful to pressurise the government to protect the rights of civilians to some extent as it may save a number of lives at the end of the day. If the international community weren’t at least keeping an eye on GoSL and piping up every time they dropped bombs on civilians things may be much worse. I’m sure some elements in the army/government would be quite happy to bomb the crap out of the peninsula and end this thing once and for all – never mind the civilian casualties. So I disagree that picking fights over different shades of grey is a pointless exercise devised just to keep armchair liberals feeling good about themselves. If you start with the premise that war is intrinsically immoral and all actions contained within its confines are equally immoral and do not neccesitate scrutiny, then we are hovering over very dangerous ground from a civilian rights point of view.
Billy, the thing is, you are arguing from the basis that child recruitment is somehow a GoSL ‘tactic’. It isn’t. Even if it is proven that GoSL personnel have been complicit in child recruitment, it still won’t make it a GoSL ‘tactic’. If it were, in fact, a GoSL tactic or strategy, it certainly is worthy of scrutiny and criticism. But what it possibly could be (even that unproven) is a TMVP strategy. The TMVP isn’t part of the GoSL, isn’t part of a democratic structure, and isn’t accountable to anyone. The TMVP is an ally, not a paramilitary, auxiliary, or whatever term is conveniently used by the media. So getting on our moral high horse and using the usual catch phrases of ‘the GoSL should set a higher standard’, or ‘we aren’t terrorists’, is silly. The TMVP ARE terrorists, just fighting with us, not against us. So if then your argument is that we should pick our allies better, that might be worthy of discussion.
I wasn’t actually arguing that it was or was not a tactic. My issue is that as an elected and answerable government of a country, GoSL is responsible for the actions of its army.
My argument is that, whether it is a deliberate strategy or the anomolous actions of only a few individuals, it needs to be addressed, investigations need to be made, and allegations need to be answered. Perhaps that’s where your point of view and mine differ.
“So if then your argument is that we should pick our allies better, that might be worthy of discussion. ”
That wasn’t my original argument, but you are right in saying that this is a point that sorely needs to be discussed.
Fair enough, Billy, investigations should be done, and the GoSL should make the appropriate moves regardless of whether proof is submitted or not. Similarly, I would expect the UN to act responsibly and make public at least the nature of their evidence, if not the evidence itself. If all you have are eyewitnesses, come out and say so. attempting a bluff against a government who obviously won’t be drawn is downright stupid, and makes me question the UN’s motives and abilities. Do they seriously think they can bully the GoSL with a bluff?
On the right to demand that the government of my country not support child recruitment and pick its allies better, I have question. Do you realise, Billy, that YOU support child recruitment through your tax rupees, some of which are being used to fund the TMVP? Therefore, would you be willing to stop paying taxes on moral grounds and run the risk of prosecution? If you feel morality is more important than personal well being, you should put it into practice. The GoSL has clearly shown that it prefers well being to morality, and in this case I agree with them.
Agreed that the UN should provide at least some kind of public report. Why haven’t they? So far we know that they’ve had private talks with the government and Mahinda has publicly said “of course we aren’t doing that, but we’ll look into it and prove that we haven’t with some, erm, investigations, and get back to you.†So the GoSL and the LTTE have been given till Jan 2007 to come up with some kind of response. My guess is that the UN has withheld the formal release of the report (possibly on request of the government???) until this Jan cut off period. If the two sides don’t shape up or make moves to do something before then, perhaps they will release it. I am not privy to the machinations of the diplomatic discussions that have gone on between GoSL and UN, but this is my guess.
In response to the tax rupees argument, I suppose there are a number of ways of putting one’s money where one’s mouth is but I don’t think that is really what we are discussing. Are you suggesting that all those not in favour of the government stop paying their taxes immediately? I don’t know if you are being serious or just having a bit of a dig. I think there have always been things that GoSL have done that I find indefensible but one still has to exist in this country – there are grounds for not paying taxes for the last couple of decades I’d say, not just over this instance. Of course I choose well-being over morality, or I’d be like Raviraj and end up dead on the pavement. Instead I’m sitting on my arse writing anonymously on a blog – not a great act of heroics by any stretch of the imagination. But if we all have to be principled heroes to have a point of view then there’d be about 5 people allowed to air their views on anything. What point are you trying to make? Anyone who pays their taxes has no right to criticise the government for potentially supporting/facilitating the use of child soldiers?
“GoSL has shown that it prefers well being to morality” – how does that work exactly? Not being facetious, just don’t follow. Their own personal well being I assume? Is this some kind of false logic to lead us to the conclusion we are all the same? Because most people don’t want to die for our principles then we are all as bad as murderers and have no right to judge/criticise anyone? Come on DB, is that any way to analyse a problem?
What I mean, Billy, by my ‘well being’ point, is that the GoSL needs Karuna & the TMVP to ensure the GoSL’s well being. They have therefore decided that that well being is more important than ethical issues.
There’s a difference, Billy, between disagreeing with the govt and claiming that their behaviour is reprehensible or indefensible. If their behaviour is that abhorrent, you should not be paying taxes to support that behaviour.
Of course, I understand that 90% of humanity wants someone else to take the risks so that we can be ethical, and I didn’t expect you to be different. But I’d like to see some perspective here when the moral high horse is brought out of its stable. It’s all very well to decide that ALL moral issues must be dealt with equally, but that’s not the reality of it, is it?
“But I’d like to see some perspective here when the moral high horse is brought out of its stable. It’s all very well to decide that ALL moral issues must be dealt with equally, but that’s not the reality of it, is it? ”
Perhaps the issue of child soldiers is a topic that has brought the woodorms out. I think it has been a subject that the public have responded to with more passion than other HR abuse issues (yes, we know crimes have been abundantly committed by both sides). So perhaps the majority of people don’t see ALL moral issues in the same light, but this is one that a lot of people have taken offense with. What I’m hearing from people is “there needs to be a line and this might be the point where the line has been stepped over”. The reality is that not all moral issues are being judged in the same light, andit is a matter of opinion what is acceptable and what is. Perhaps I get on my high horse and am offended by everything (whilst still paying my taxes and not jumping up to throw myself infront of any bullets); perhaps other people (like yourself) can see all transgressions it in the context of a war and find it acceptable; others, however, may feel that as a government who has been holding itself above the LTTE as an elected representative of the people, this is the issue that may tip the balance into the realms of the unacceptable. It is a matter of opinion, and the science of ethics is a subjective one.
also what about relativity:
is the crime of recruiting or allowing “child soldiers” to enroll/join more of a crime than the GoSL:
1) depriving the children of the NE of proper healthcare, nutrition, education
2) bombing and shelling and raping and killing children in the NE
3) assisting in the abduction of children for the Karuna group
4) ignoring the 60,000 odd children who are child prostitues in the south…?
why not the same rightous indignation about these things…
???
Ok enough with the counter propaganda ok. Stay on track or go home. This kind of cut and paste job from Tamil net is just boring and doesn’t prove anything except that you have a one sided opinion. GoSL sucks but try being a muslim in the north east (or a 14 year old boy who might be recruited by LTTE or Karuna). It sucks for everyone so stop being so one sided.
what counterpropaganda… answer the questions posed…
oh ya, there’s one i left off…
what about all you rich colombo types “employing” children to be servants… do you know how many thousand child slaves there are in colombo that are worked to the bone, beaten, and sexually abused day in and day out…
why do you care so much about a relatively small population who may or may not be joining the LTTE voluntaraly???
i’m sure if you had family members who were killed by GoSL when you were 15 or 16 you’d join up…
Don’t fool yourself and romanticise the issue. I’ve heard second hand eyewitness reports from people who have seen kids being beaten and taken forcably from their weeping parents by the LTTE. Sure some kids do join voluntarily, but many do not. Do them some justice and don’t make up a convenient history for them that suits your own perspective. Don’t get caught up with the us versus them issue. I have little respect for GoSL and the army, I think they are shit, but if you for one minute think the LTTE are not abusing these kids you are fooling yourself. I have an issue with the tamils abroad who are fiercely protective of their own children, but do not hesitate to send money to support a regime that forces children to fight. Why don’t they send their own children if they are so passionate? So why don’t you talk about the comfortable tamil diaspora who are playing games with the lives of other people’s children. I have sympathy for the Tamil cause, which is precisely why I feel sorry for these kids, whoever it is who is abusing them.
PS – just saw this from you DB:
“The GoSL has done stuff far worse than this. If the UN (and you) want this to change, you have to find a way to get real evidence — pix, film footage, eyewitnesses who’ll testify before a UN body — whatever. Until then, you might as well piss at the moon, ‘cos nothing will happen ”
Agreed, to be honest sometimes I feel that all the peacebuilding efforts that have been going on for the last 30 years have been the equivalent of pissing at the moon.
Note the full HRW report on the SLA/child recruitment will be available in December. You can get an idea of what the report will hold in the following release:
HRW
Child soldiers in armed conflicts is such a growing issue and needs more publicity to raise awareness. Thanks for posting.
-ChildAdvocate
http://childrenwithguns.blogspot.com/