Conscription continues in Vanni

The Prabakaran faction of the LTTE is continuing to recruit ordinary civilian members of families to the military in the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi areas.

The LTTE, which recruited youths under the age of 35 in the past, has now commenced recruiting members of families above the age of 35 irrespective of sexual differences. A head of a family, who fled to the government-controlled area of Vavuniya from Kilinochchi, revealed this.

The family person who prefers to remain anonymous further said that one of his sons was forcibly recruited to the LTTE and was reportedly killed in an accidental explosion during the course of the training. Again one of his school going daughters also was conscripted eight months ago and at last the Tigers compelled his 42-year- old wife to join the LTTE. Luckily the man was left behind, as he was a sickly person.

He and the remaining two children had made efforts to save their own lives and fled to the government controlled part of Vavuniya. The Tigers not only ruin and destroy the daily lives of the Tamil people of Vanni but also of the future generation, Vavuniya sources said.