Written question asked by Keith Simpson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 23 October 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 October 2007. It was answered by Kim Howells (Labour) on Monday, 29 October 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam: Sanctions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the Government's policy to support the introduction of targeted measures against the political and military leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, as recommended by the UN Secretary General in his report on children and armed conflict in Sri Lanka S/2006/1006, December 2006.

Answer: We have been seriously concerned by reports that have criticised parties to the Sri Lanka conflict including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Karuna faction for the recruitment and use of child soldiers in violation of applicable international law. We deplore this practice: there can be no excuse for failing to observe such basic human rights. The UK is a member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We fully support the Working Group's conclusions of 13 June 2007, which strongly condemned the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers and all other violations and abuses committed against children by the LTTE and the Karuna faction and called for an immediate end to these practices. The UK also supports the Working Group's call for further steps to be taken in the coming months if parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka do not heed this call for progress to be made.

Secondary information