InfoAnda - Former child soldiers move on in Sri Lanka

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Nokia, Motorola win smartphone share; outlook weighs | | 30 January 2010
Fur flies in snub of Scorsese Hugo dog | | 30 January 2012
Barbara Walters, Steve Kroft bearish on TV news | Entertainment | | 18 February 2009

US rally boosts Asian markets | 5 January 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Former child soldiers move on in Sri Lanka

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Former child soldiers move on in Sri Lanka By KRISHAN FRANCIS,Associated Press Writer - Sunday, October 25 Send IM Story Print AMBEPUSSA, Sri Lanka – Vinojan's boyhood ended when Sri Lanka's civil war reignited. Fifteen at the time, he says he joined the separatist Tamil Tigers to save his older brother from forcible conscription, and became a reluctant fighter as the rebels fought their last, desperate battles for survival. Now, having won the war, Sri Lanka is trying to make patriotic citizens out of child soldiers like Vinojan and others who just months ago were fighting against the nation. Vinojan, who nurses a dark scar on his wrist from a shrapnel wound, is just trying to reclaim what is left of a childhood cut short. "We wanted to be students. All that was shattered," he said. About 570 children, some as young as 13, are among an estimated 10,000 captured rebels who have been sent to government rehabilitation camps around the island since the 25-year war for a separate Tamil state ended in May. Tamils are an ethnic minority in the country of 21 million people off the coast of India. "These are children who were exposed to danger, taken away from their families and deprived of their childhood," said Maj. Gen. Daya Ratnayake, the military official in charge of the camps. "Our hope is to get them back to normal as much as possible." The former child soldiers say they want simply to be reunited with their families. But some have lost relatives or are still searching for them. Meanwhile, the government is working to ensure they don't pick up arms again. But it has done little to fulfill its pledge to tackle the Tamils' long-standing grievances by sharing some power with them. The ex-fighters' treatment stands in stark contrast to the plight of nearly 300,000 displaced Tamil civilians who are held in overcrowded government camps in the north. U.N. officials have pressed for their release and aid workers fear coming rains could lead to outbreaks of disease. In Ambepussa, Vinojan, about 80 other children and 32 adults _ start their day by hoisting the Sri Lankan flag and singing the national anthem ("Mother Lanka we salute thee! ... Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended..."). They study English and Sinhalese, the language of the country's majority ethnic group, and take classes in plumbing, metalwork, sewing and cooking. They watch TV, listen to music and play cricket, the country's favorite sport. Maj. Herman Fernando, who runs the camp, said he is trying to get the children into nearby schools. Most in Ambepussa are expected to go free after a year of rehabilitation and psychiatric evaluation. UNICEF, the U.N. Children's Fund, said the kids in Ambepussa appeared well treated. Spokeswoman Sarah Crowe looked forward to them rejoining their families and communities, saying: "These children have been deprived of their childhood and will need all possible care and protection to start a new life." When the violence was worsening in February, UNICEF accused the rebels of stepping up their forcible recruitment of children, saying it had recorded 6,000 such cases since 2003. Although Vinojan spent his whole life living under rebel control in the remote northern village of Tharmapuram, he managed to have a somewhat normal childhood. Then, as fighting flared in 2007, the rebels began seeking fresh recruits. A letter arrived summoning Vinojan's older brother, who had just turned 18, to join the fight. The family hid in the jungle rather than comply. But Vinojan's father couldn't work and his three siblings couldn't go to school, so, at 15, he volunteered to join the rebels in his brother's place, he said. At first he ferried meals to fighters. Early this year, the family decided to dash across the front lines. The rebels, who were holding tens of thousands of civilians as human shields, opened fire. Vinojan hit the ground and was captured. "My parents were unaware that I got caught. If they knew, they wouldn't have gone. So I did not shout, I just let them go," he said. The rebels tied him to a tree and whipped him with a palm branch, he said. Then they gave him 10 days of training and a rifle and sent him and other child soldiers to the front. "We were all scared and only wanted to retreat," he said, adding that he fired shots randomly but never had a chance to take aim at anyone. After five days, he deserted and hid with a sympathetic family. He was caught again and sent back to the front, where food was dwindling and fighters went a month without a bath or change of clothes, he said. The rebels made it clear how further escape attempts would be punished. "One of my comrades was blindfolded, made to kneel and shot in front of us," Vinojan said. But the army kept advancing, so the boy tried to escape again, this time hiding in an abandoned house for five days with no food or water before meeting up with an aunt and uncle. Then an artillery shell hit their shelter, killing the uncle, aunt and their 1-year-old baby. Vinojan was in the jungle at the time. "I cried and then gathered up the remains, put them in a nearby bunker and covered it with soil," Vinojan said. Finally, on April 20, the army broke through and Vinojan joined tens of thousands of others escaping across a lagoon to government territory. In Ambepussa, "I wasn't sure if my parents were alive, and they didn't know where I was," he said. Then UNICEF brought them to the camp for a visit. "When we met we cried," he said, tears in his eyes. Vinojan once hoped to become a government worker when he grew up. "But under the circumstances, I don't think too far ahead," he said. "It's enough to be an ordinary man." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Taliban threaten Afghan voters in November runoff AP - Sunday, October 25 Strong quake hits eastern Indonesia, causes panic AP - Sunday, October 25 US mulls direct talks as N.Korea nuclear envoy visits AFP - Sunday, October 25 Army captures Pakistani Taliban leader's hometown AP - Sunday, October 25 Xu visit puts spotlight on China-US military ties AFP - Sunday, October 25 News Search Top Stories New German govt to slash taxes Obama declares swine flu emergency Obama urges banks to help small businesses Europe swine flu spreads, 'millions' infected in US Icahn resigns from Yahoo! board More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Europe swine flu spreads, 'millions' infected in US Mobile phone giant Nokia sues Apple over patents Microsoft beats expectations to cap off big week Icahn resigns from Yahoo! board Britain must wait to exit recession More Most Viewed » Boyzone singer Gately dies in Spain Mobile phone giant Nokia sues Apple over patents More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Sunday, 25 October 2009
Egyptian passenger trains collide, at least 14 dead
New German govt to slash taxes
Suspected ETA militants charged in France
Karzai rival says won't join Afghan government | International |
Saudi female TV journalist gets 60 lashes
Obama urges banks to help small businesses
Protesters demand UK pullout from Afghanistan
Egyptian passenger trains collide, at least 15 dead | International |
Saudi female TV journalist gets 60 lashes | International |
Influential Iran lawmakers criticise nuclear deal
Abbas should face trial for usurping power: Hamas
Russia's Medvedev says open to election law ideas | International |
UN to inspect atomic plant as Iran delays nod on deal
U.S. says Syria should release 78-year-old dissident | International |
Strong quake hits eastern Indonesia, causes panic
Lost keys lead NJ police to burglary suspects
US mulls direct talks as N.Korea nuclear envoy visits
15-year-old charged with murder of Mo. girl
Army captures Pakistani Taliban leader's hometown
Ensign resignation would set up Nevada scramble
Indonesia lifts tsunami alert after powerful quake
How does Ore. candidate roll? With MS, on a Segway
Another strong quake hits Indonesia
AP NewsAlert
Could letting pilots take a nap make flying safer?
Former child soldiers move on in Sri Lanka
Nunn not too pleased with its politicians
Maine girl born with 'mermaid syndrome' dies at 10
China-Guinea deal highlights Africa business ties
American sees changes in his North Korean hometown
Balloon boy's mother admits hoax: affidavit
Patients _ and patience _ in health care end game
Myanmar could ease Suu Kyi detention
'Paranormal Activity' scares up box-office delight
AP interview: Cosby keeps it clean for humor prize
Major quake strikes off Indonesia: seismologists
Domestic Violence Abuse Victims In Illinois Call For Reform Due To Large Number Of Unserved Protection Orders
Treasury Official Says Over $600 Million Of Credit For First-Time Home Buyers Are Suspicious
New Jersey Priest Found Dead; Police Suspect Homicide
UN team to visit Iran uranium plant
Britons killed on Kenya holiday: Foreign Office
U.N. experts in Iran to inspect new nuclear site | International |
Recession or not? US economy likely to be in limbo
Taliban call for Afghan vote boycott, threaten violence
Pakistan troops retake Taliban stronghold in Waziristan | International |
Karzai rival says won't join Afghan government | International |
Egyptian passenger trains collide, at least 14 dead
New German government to slash taxes
Ukraine PM enters tight presidential race
Obama declares swine flu emergency
Iraqi court seeks arrest of Sunni MP
Egyptian passenger trains collide, at least 15 dead | International |
Israeli police, Arabs clash near Jerusalem mosque | International |
Winds shift as fire burns Puerto Rican oil depot | International |
Pakistan troops retake Taliban stronghold in Waziristan
Church janitor charged in slaying of NJ priest
Sydney Harbor Bridge becomes grassy picnic ground
Australia, China discuss detained Rio executive: Rudd
Patients _ and patience _ in health care end game
Mother praises police searching for girl's killer
SKorea: Summit should help resolve nuclear dispute
Pakistani army takes Taliban chief's hometown
Last-gasp Smith saves Australia in Four Nations
Lawyer blasts release of affidavit in balloon case
Chinese hurdler Liu advances to 110m hurdle final
Thousands gather for worldwide climate protests
Jettisoned bomb destroyed at Utah's Hill AFB
EPA: Climate bill could cost family $100 annually
US, N.Korea hold nuclear talks in New York
SC Episcopalians to distance from national church
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 807
Taliban threaten Afghan voters in November runoff
Thailand, Philippines seek rice row solution: minister
Indian carmaker Maruti sees quarterly profit jump 93 pct
At 37, Paul Simon's son makes his musical mark
First black woman tipped for top French book prize
Placido Domingo tries out Verdi baritone role
Italian wine harvest shows good quality but drop in quantity
Anti-Semitism on the rise in France: Jewish community group
Party over mood at Russian 'Millionaire Fair'
'Sweat lodge' tragedy shines spotlight on ancient ritual
Polanski could face two years prison if extradited | Entertainment |
Sony looks for box office hit with This Is It | Entertainment |
At 37, Paul Simon's son makes his musical mark | Entertainment |
Suicide bombs kill 132 in Baghdad | International |
Young entrepreneurs get tips from Facebook-Twitter
U.N. experts inspect Iran's new nuclear site | International |
Israeli police, Arabs clash near Jerusalem mosque
Pakistan forces bomb Taliban in South Waziristan | International |
Twin suicide vehicle bombings kill 99 in Baghdad
Israeli police storm Jerusalem's holiest site
UN inspectors to check controversial Iran atomic plant
Asian leaders seek to reduce Western trade ties | International |
UN inspectors visit once-secret Iranian site
Twin suicide car bombs kill at least 38 in Baghdad
Twin Baghdad blasts kill at least 14: medics
Suicide bombs kill 132 in Baghdad
British police pursuing leads in Lockerbie case | International |
Uruguay vote pits ex-guerrilla and former president | International |
Singh to Wen: Dalai Lama an honored guest | International |
Somalia's Shabaab rebels execute two for spying | International |
Pakistan forces bomb Taliban in South Waziristan
Protests in Kashmir over a killing by Indian army
Japan navy holds review amid questions over future
Australia edge India in one-day international
Asian leaders give rival visions for economic blocs
Kidnapped priest alive but unwell, says mission
Japan PM in no hurry on US base relocation deal
World solar car race begins in Australia
Nuclear energy becomes pivotal in climate debate
Taiwan president vows to press for China detente
The nation's weather
Scottish police 'reviewing Lockerbie bombing probe'
Reformatory's closing prompts reflection
Chinese ship collides with Belgian cargo vessel
Look at insurgent groups on Afghan-Pakistan border
Obama declares swine flu a national emergency
SKorean railway workers vote to strike
Global events mark magic number on climate change
China proposes Taiwan economic cooperation talks
Pilot who overshot airport denies crew was napping
Asian leaders' rival visions for economic blocs
JAL new state-backed agency restructuring: reports
S.Korea nuclear power unit resumes operation-Yonhap
China to keep yuan weak until crisis over: experts
Japanese automakers' hydrogen car drive
'Polygamy club' draws criticism in Indonesia
Strong quake hits eastern Indonesia, causes panic
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
HK investors see wine as good bet for capital growth
From Canada to Argentina, fans shake to "Thriller"
For Zimbabwe's deportees, shame at empty-handed return
Composer Lloyd Webber has prostate cancer: BBC | Entertainment |
Ex-Smiths singer Morrissey stable after collapsing on stage | Entertainment |
Singer Morrissey released from hospital
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01