Ex-child soldiers join new school in Colombo

Shanika SRIYANANDA in Poonthottam

Trained to fight and kill, the under-aged girls and boys never thought, not even in their wildest dreams that they would ever step beyond Puthumathalan.

Brainwashed to die, the LTTE child soldiers were not allowed to think about books, happiness or for that matter love.

Today, they are in Colombo and ready to enjoy their lost childhood. Most importantly, they have been given a chance to read and write.

Sixteen-year-old ‘renu’ ran from the LTTE when the terrorists were getting inhuman to their own cadres who abandoned the defence lines of Mulliyawelliwaikkal. The teenager dropped the T 56 and escaped to a village where the civilians were running for life. She joined the group and surrendered to the military.

“I never had hopes for life after they took me while my grandmother was crying and pleading. Lots of my friends who were taken by the LTTE had died”, she recalled in the last days with the LTTE.

After a 10-days training, Renu was deployed to a medical centre of the LTTE.

She who saw only dead bodies and blood thought death would be her ultimate fate.

“It is a dream for me and I still cannot believe that I am going to Colombo and studying in a big school”, tears glistening in the eyes.

The `Sunday Observer’ met the children at the Poonthottam Child Protection and Rehabilitation School in Vavuniya where they were getting ready for the ‘unexpected journey’.

Most of them, who were recruited during the last months of the battle, had lots of tales to tell the world. Malnourished and shivering with fear the teenagers were left in the deadly battle fields to die.

Renu lived with her grandmother in Dharmapuram as her mother was planning to go abroad. She was taken by the LTTE with 10 other schoolgirls and boys when she was returning from school. The children were taught to kill the Sinhala Army and told that Sinhalese people are devils.

“ I like to become a social studies teacher”, that is her wish, while Harun (15) wanted to become a doctor.

First displaced in Mannar, his family became displaced several times with fighting escalating and the Army capturing the LTTE held areas. Harun was abducted by the LTTE at the Mulliyawellaiwaikkal and given five-days rigorous training. But he who wanted to live fled the area and surrendered to the soldiers.

“ I...I... still don’t know that I am going to Colombo to study”, when he got the news he couldn’t believe what he heard. He first wants to do his Ordinary Level and then the Advanced Level.

Now Renu and Harun with over 168 former LTTE child soldiers from the Poonthottam school and Ambepussa Rehabilitation centre have started their education at Hindu College, Colombo, one of the prestigious Tamil schools in the country.

Last Wednesday they stepped into Colombo to commence their studies.

Minister of Justice and Law Reforms Milinda Moragoda welcoming them at the school premises asked them to forget the gun culture and pursue their studies to become good Sri Lankans.

Col. Manjula Gurusinghe, the Rehabilitation Co-ordinating Officer Vavuniya told the `Sunday Observer’ that this idea was mooted when the children requested the Minister Moragoda to provide them facilities to continue their studies.

He said that the Government had started the Poonthottam school with facilities for children to study from grade seven to Advanced Level. “There is a Principal and teachers but some of the subjects are not available due to a shortage of teachers. So we have negotiated with the Hindu College Principal to send these children there”, he said.

According to Col. Gurusinghe, the Tamil Diaspora and certain leading Sinhalese businessmen have helped to bring them to Colombo and facilitate their studies. The 168 children will have accommodation facilities plus necessary items to study.

The plan was implemented under the guidance of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen. Daya Ratnayake. There are over 10,000 former LTTE cadres undergoing rehabilitation.

“The Majority of these children are innocent and were taken forcibly for training by the LTTE. There are many talented children and they are keen to study.

They have realised the mistake and wanted to correct that. It is our responsibility to give these youth a better chance. Especially their parents are very keen to give their children a good education”, he said.

Maj. Nimal Weerasekara, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Poonthottam Centre said that most of the children in the centre want to study and lead a good life. “They want to do their Advanced Level and get a job. There are lots of talented girls and boys and they are from good families. Most of these children were forcibly recruited by the LTTE”, he said.

Maj. P. D. S. Rajaratne, OIC of the Ambepussa Rehabilitation Centre too expressed the same sentiments. “They were in jungles and malnourished at the time they came to the centre. They were in a world of fear and after six months we can see a big difference. They are happy and always wanted to improve their knowledge, skills and now they know how to maintain cleanliness”, he said.

The Principal of the Hindu College, Ratmalana, Nadaraja Manmatharajan said that 92 boys and 76 girls are now studying in grades - seven to Advanced Level- and given all the basic facilities. The school expects another batch of 250 children at end of this month.

He said there were very bright students among these children and it was a privilege for them to study at Hindu College. “There are children who got eight As at the O/L Examination but were recruited forcibly by the LTTE”, he said.

The Principal said that they were provided fairly comfortable accommodation and the meals were supplied by the All Ceylon Hindu Congress.

But he lamented about the shortage of teachers. “We have only 41 teachers and need 24 additional teachers in Science, Maths, Commerce, Dancing, PT, Agriculture and Computer.

He said that new buildings are being constructed and several private sector companies have come forward to help these children who are talented to study.

Each one of them have their own little dreams and are looking forward to become professionals - doctors, engineers, teachers, dancers and singers. Renu, Harun and their friends had dropped the bombs and guns and took to books and pencils aspiring to turn a new leaf in their lives. Isn’t it the time for all of us to lend a hand for them to stand up on their own, one day.

(Children’s names have been changed to protect their identity)