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Ambassador Allan Rock,
Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for
Children and Armed Conflict called on H.E. the President
on 13 November 2006 having concluded his ten-day mission
in Sri Lanka. He thanked the Government of Sri Lanka
for facilitating his mission, including unhindered access
to all areas.
Ambassador Allan Rock brought to
the attention of President Rajapaksa certain allegations
of some elements of the security forces supporting the
abduction and forced recruitment of children by the
Karuna faction.
In response, the President said that
if there is credible evidence of such incidents he would
have them investigated. Ambassador Rock expressed his
appreciation to the President for his response.
During Ambassador Allan Rock’s
visit to Sri Lanka, the government provided him with
unhindered access to all areas and facilitated meetings
with a cross-section of government actors, as part of
its long-standing policy of openness and constructive
engagement with UN Human Rights Mechanisms. The government
regrets however that certain conclusions that Ambassador
Rock has made public have led to many distorted media
reports, as opposed to the government’s long-standing
zero-tolerance policy on the recruitment of children
as combatants.
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