Sri Lanka students fear abduction

By John Sudworth
BBC News, Valaichchenai

Four years ago the Tamil Tigers agreed a ceasefire with the Sri Lankan government, but talks aimed at ending the violence forever and solving the island's political problems have yet to make a breakthrough. In eastern Sri Lanka there is an uneasy peace.

In the town of Valaichchenai swarms of children in immaculate white uniforms are on their way to school.

The students are afraid - the parents are also afraid to send their pupils to school Teacher in Valaichchenai

They make a startling contrast with the Sri Lankan soldiers in army-issue green moving along the same streets in the morning heat.

Glimpses of Sri Lanka's uneasy peace are everywhere, from the neon tea shops next door to military checkpoints that bristle with guns, to the Buddhist shrines hemmed in by razor wire at the side of the road.

Map of the region

But here in the east of the country, tension is higher than usual. A number of abductions, some involving children, have been reported in recent weeks.

"Someone came in a white van and took them," one of the teachers at the Valaichchenai Hindu College tells me.

In this case, the two 15-year-old pupils were returned to their families the next day. But people are nervous.

"In this situation the students are afraid. The parents are also afraid to send their pupils to school," the teacher says.

'We are scared'

In the playground a group of boys admits to being worried.

"Yes, we are scared of being kidnapped," one tells me. "As long as we're in the school premises we're OK, but it's going out that frightens us."

The 2002 ceasefire was meant to have put a stop to all child abductions.

The Tamil Tiger rebels say they no longer abduct children to fight

The Tamil Tigers have used abducted child soldiers in their fight for an independent homeland, but say they have ended the practice.

However, the UN children's agency, Unicef, estimates more than a thousand children are still in the rebels' ranks.

Some of the new reports of kidnappings are from government-controlled areas around the town of Batticaloa.

The Tigers deny involvement and say the abductions are being carried out by a rival paramilitary group being sheltered by the Sri Lankan army.

Christina de Bruin runs the Unicef mission in Batticaloa which aims to monitor the recruitment of child soldiers, and facilitate the return to their families.

"Unicef is very concerned, especially over the last two weeks when we can see an increase of reports of abductions taking place in government controlled areas," she says.

Welcoming the quick return of the two pupils from Valaichchenai she adds: "Recently two children were fortunately released, but the practice is definitely on the increase and I think we can see an increase of fear."

Following these recent abductions students at the nearby Eastern University helped organise a protest.

'We have to show our power'

A general strike, or harthal, was called and hundreds of students and school pupils boycotted their classes.

Harthals themselves are not unusual in the Batticaloa district, but to hear students openly voicing their objections to the armed groups is less common.

"We have to show our opposition to the parties who are disturbing the students' lives and studies, so we have to show our power," one tells me.

I ask her if students are afraid.

I cannot go past a particular shop in town because there are warnings for me that if I pass this point I will be shot Kandaveil Nidikumar President, Students' Union

"Yes sure, because the affected students are from schools in our area, they are our brothers," she says. "We want a future without any political pressure or any pressure from outside. We want to study freely."

The students were cautious not to blame any particular group for the kidnappings, saying they should stop, whoever is behind them.

They already risk much by taking a stand.

Kandaveil Nidikumar, president of the students' union, tells me: "I cannot go past a particular shop in town because there are warnings for me that if I pass this point I will be shot. So even for me it's hard to go out."

In the paddy fields on the outskirts of Batticaloa, six workers, including children aged 14 and 16, were recently reported to have been abducted.

It is clear that those still working here are terrified they might be next.

One man, busy preparing the soil on an area recently declared free of mines, has lost many relatives over the years.

"When people go into the jungle to bring some wood or sticks to burn, they disappear," he says.

Holding their young child in her arms his wife tells me: "We don't know who is doing this... some say it's the Tamil Tigers, others say it's the army. We all just want to be left in peace."

FEAR IN THE EAST

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