In Sri Lanka, particularly problematic in that the Sinhala majority - which constitutes about 74% of the total population - in addition to being the majority, has also two additional attitudes which tend to harden its attitude towards the Tamils. First of all is the idea that they are the sole legitimate inhabitants of the island, that they have been there since Time immemorial and that they have the sole right to be there. And also that the island is a Buddhist country and that it should remain a Buddhist country and that it is very important for the Buddhists to fight against any sort of encroachment by Indian Hindus.
(NSI News Source Info) Washington - March 1, 2009: Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US Jaliya Wickramasuriya has asked the Tamil Tigers to stop the use of child soldiers in the conflict, alleging that the LTTE is recruiting them to serve its political agenda.
"It is alarming that LTTE terrorists continue their blatant pattern of recruiting children to serve their own political agendas. It is an intolerable practice and must be stopped," the Sri Lankan Ambassador said in a statement.
The statement has been issued coinciding with launch of a media campaign by UNICEF and the Sri Lankan Government to bring to an end such a practice by the LTTE. "We are hopeful this new campaign with UNICEF will help end the manipulation and suffering of Sri Lankan children," Wickramasuriya said. 
Tamil refugees search for their belongings after fire broke out in a Tamil refugee camp in Vavuniya, northeast Sri Lanka, February 28, 2009. The fire broke out in one of the refugee camps in Vavuniya housing displaced Tamil people escaping from the fighting between the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan army. The cause of the fire is yet unknown and no injuries were reported, officials said.
"The image of Sri Lanka, for far too long, said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the launch of the Sri Lanka National Campaign against the Recruitment of Children for Use in Armed Conflict, has been stained by the presence of child soldiers in our country," he said. 
A soldier guards the wall where Tamil people, who escaped Tamil Tigers rebels-held area following fighting between Sri Lanka army and Tamil Tigers, chat with their relatives over the fence of a temporary refugee camp in Vavuniya, northern Sri Lanka February 23, 2009. Since the beginning of the year, over 35,000 Tamils have fled to government-controlled areas following fighting and been placed in refugee camps. However, these refugees complain that they are not able to leave the camps, a temporary measure the government says will continue until they can weed out the rebels' infiltrators hiding among civilians.
"But, more important than erasing the stain in our image, is the need to save our children from this special horror of terror, the most savage of the chosen weapons of terror, that has been the menace of our society for nearly three decades," he said.
UNICEF has recorded more than 6,000 cases of children recruited by LTTE from 2003 to 2008.
Tamil refugees search for their belongings after fire broke out in a Tamil refugee camp in Vavuniya, northeast Sri Lanka, February 28, 2009. The fire broke out in one of the refugee camps in Vavuniya housing displaced Tamil people escaping from the fighting between the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan army. The cause of the fire is yet unknown and no injuries were reported, officials said.
"The image of Sri Lanka, for far too long, said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the launch of the Sri Lanka National Campaign against the Recruitment of Children for Use in Armed Conflict, has been stained by the presence of child soldiers in our country," he said. A soldier guards the wall where Tamil people, who escaped Tamil Tigers rebels-held area following fighting between Sri Lanka army and Tamil Tigers, chat with their relatives over the fence of a temporary refugee camp in Vavuniya, northern Sri Lanka February 23, 2009. Since the beginning of the year, over 35,000 Tamils have fled to government-controlled areas following fighting and been placed in refugee camps. However, these refugees complain that they are not able to leave the camps, a temporary measure the government says will continue until they can weed out the rebels' infiltrators hiding among civilians.
"But, more important than erasing the stain in our image, is the need to save our children from this special horror of terror, the most savage of the chosen weapons of terror, that has been the menace of our society for nearly three decades," he said.
UNICEF has recorded more than 6,000 cases of children recruited by LTTE from 2003 to 2008.
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