Sri Lanka: LTTE admits recruiting children as combatants

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) admitted that it was still recruiting children in spite of the ceasefire agreement that called for a complete stop in the use and recruitment of children as combatants. However, the LTTE leaders blamed the recruitments on ill-disciplined junior members of the organization.

This admission comes a few days after Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunge filed a complaint and sent letters addressed the Army and Police chiefs giving details on cases of child abductions carried out by the LTTE. The President called for their intervention to stamp out such incidents. She noted in her letter that the chiefs had one weeks time to submit reports indicating the progress made in this connection.

The police have now set up five teams of officers to look into cases of child abductions and recruitment by the LTTE.

Some human rights experts in Sri Lanka have said that the LTTE has recruited at least 10,000 children since the ceasefire with the government in February 2002. However, the LTTE maintains that not more than 300 children have been abducted or recruited since the ceasefire.

Brunei Darrussalam: Increase in abandoned babies - A Worrying Trend

Speaking at a forum on the UN Convention on Rights of the Child, a leading woman social worker, Hajah Mordia, mentioned that at least one baby was reported abandoned every year since 1995.

Brunei is home to 108,000 children and even the abandonment of children in the kingdom was a worrying trend on the rise. There have been reports of at least 15 babies being abandoned between 1995 and 2002.  In 2002 itself, 3 babies were found abandoned.

Though Brunei has a low record of child rights violations, this new phenomenon is on the rise and needs to be addressed quickly.

Sri Lanka: LTTE continues to recruit children

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has said that the LTTE is still recruiting children in spite of the ceasefire.

It said that a total of 556 violations of children's rights were reported since February 2002 when the ceasefire was declared by the government and the LTTE and the LTTE had promised to stop recruitment of children as combatants. Of this, the LTTE were responsible for 502 violations of children and the government were responsible for 54 violations.

SLMM quoted that the LTTE were involved in 313 cases of child recruitment, 89 cases of abductions of adults and 41 cases of harassment. The majority the complaints coming from the Batticola province in Sri Lanka.

SLMM has said that though there has been a decrease in the number of reported cases of violations since the ceasefire, they are still continuing. It has called for a complete and immediate end to violations of children's and human rights by the LTTE and the government.

Philippines: 15 children rescued from cult found malnourished and unclean

15 children between the ages of one to sixteen were reportedly 'rescued' by representatives of the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) from caves in the Buhisan region of Philippines.

The children were living with members of a cult called Salve Me Pater Omnis Oculus Meus (meaning Father forgive me for my Sins) Initiated by Alfredo Verano. 

The taskforce was formed after the Commission of Human Rights, Department of Social Welfare Development, learnt of incidents of exploitation from former members of the cult. The members gave written affidavits and stated under oath that women and children were subjected to sexual abuse and hard labour within the cult. Children did not attend school and were instead involved in digging caves.

CHR representatives were reported to have negotiated with the cult leader Alfredo Verano for four hours to hand over the children in the cult. The leader finally agreed to let the children go along with their parents.

Health examinations conducted by state doctors after the children were released found that the children were malnourished and lacked personal hygeine.

All the 15 children are right now in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare Development.

Pakistan: 9-year-old takes corporation to court

A 9-year-old boy,  filed a petition through his attorney with the Sindh High Court in Pakistan claiming damages worth Rupees 23.8 million from the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC).

Aleem Ahmad Siddiqui accidentally came into contact with a live, open and exposed electric pillar box/junction while playing near his house. Though the KESC was immediately informed of the electrocution, nobody from the corporation came to the rescue of the child.

Aleem was taken by some passersby to his parents who rushed the boy to the closest civil hospital. He had to be transferred from there to the National Institute of Child Health and finally to the Holy Family Hospital for surgical treatment of his electrocution injuries.

Aleem lost his right forearm and the middle and index finders of his left hand. The injuries have permanently disabled Aleem and crushed any hopes of his leading a normal life. Calculating that the damages to amount to  23.8 million rupees, Aleem has asked the court to direct the corporation to pay the damages.

The Sindh High Court has asked the corporation to respond to the damage suit by February 13, 2003.

Bangladesh: Government pledges to work towards ensuring child rights

A round table organized by Prothom Alo, a Bengali newspaper in Bangladesh, titled, 'Child Rights in National Policy Making' was attended by government and state officials belonging to both the ruling and the opposition parties in Bangladesh.

Speakers at the event suggested that there was a need to launch a social movement to ensure child rights in the nation. Speaking on the occasion, Women and Children Affairs Minister Khurshid Jahan Haque said that the government was in the process of developing a five-year National Plan of Action for child development and was also planning to establish a separate directorate for the children.

Abdul Jalil, General secretary of the main opposition party in Bangladesh Awami League, affirmed that his party would not hesitate to extend support to the government for ensuring a better future for the children.

Mentioning that the garment industry in Bangladesh was almost free of child labour,  Kutubuddin Ahmed  president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said that the organization planned on undertaking a Tk. 12.5 crore project to ensure the welfare of children of garment workers.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said that though Bangladesh is a signatory of various international and national conventions, poverty has overtaken the need for focussing attention on child rights violations in the nation. He called for a united initiative with all political parties, businessmen and the civil society to ensure child rights and alleviate poverty.

China: Child Labour in Handicraft Company

Tebiete, a handcraft company, located in the capital of southern China's Fujian Province, was levied a fine of 30,000 Yuan for employing four minor girls.

Two of the girls had just graduated from primary school when they were introduced into the company by their friends and relatives. The girls worked  for more than 12 hours a day for 300 to 400 Yuan per month. However, they said that had not received the entire money since part of it went for their room and board and the remaining was being withheld till coming spring festival.

The Labor Supervision Detachment of the south-eastern city of Fuzhou which investigated the case and levied the fine said that most of the factories in the province employed child labour.

Nepal: Maoists abduct 80 school children for guerrilla training

Maoists kidnapped 80 children studying in grade 10 from a high school in Bhalchaur village in western Nepal, a few days ago.

One of the students who escaped from Maoist captivity reported that the abducted students were being given training on guerrilla warfare at Ratamata area in Bhalchaur village. "You have to take training on guerrilla warfare rather than continue your studies at this moment,'' the student told the Kathmandu Post, quoting rebel leaders.

The abductions took place while the students were preparing for their 10 grade School Leaving Certificate examinations that are due to take place in a few weeks.

Last week rebels kidnapped about 200 children from schools in western Nepal. Some 150 were set free after a week, but the whereabouts of the others is still not known.

Pakistan: 7 children die due to cold

7 children have died in three different Afghan refugee camps on Afghanistan-Pakistan's border.

Unhappy refugees mentioned that the camps set up by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) one year back lacked health care facilities and the basic health units did not have proper treatment facilities.

Officials confirmed that severe pneumonia and chest infection caused by the cold weather was the main reason for the death of many refugees including the recent child deaths.

Refugees also complained of receiving very small quantity of food from the relief agencies as they sold food package in the local market to purchase kerosene and fire wood to protect their children from harsh weather.

Nepal: 14 child labourers rescued from bonded labour

Nepal police rescued 14 children between the ages of 14 to 17 who were forced to work as bonded labourers from a weaving factory in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.

The children were working as wool spinners in a secretly run factory. Police said that the factory was dark and the rooms extremely cold. The children had not been paid for their work and were being treated inhumanely.

The police have registered a case against the owner of the factory who is still absconding. 

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and a local NGO, Child Workers in Nepal, estimate that there are at least two million child workers in Nepal alone.

Malaysia: Penal Code amended to provide stiff punishment for incestual rape

The Malaysian government has decided to amend the penal code and include a provision for a stiff penalty for incestual rape, meting out a jail sentence of between 15 and 30 years including 10 strokes of the rotan (whip). However, the punishment for incest of six to 20-years jail sentence will not be increased.

The cabinet also decided that incestual rape offenders above the age of 50 be subjected to caning, which was not allowed for by the law now.

The penal code of presently covers only rape and not incestual rape. The Criminal Justice Act is also being amended as at present if a person served a jail sentence of more than 20 years, it was considered to be a life sentence. The cabinet has proposed that  the amended act will allow for more than 20 years but will not be considered life sentence.

In an attempt to improve the reporting of incestual rape, the Penal Code is being amended to include a clause 'that those who fail to report incestual rape be jailed for not more than three years'. No such provision exists under the current law.

Another amendment being made is the registation of offenders for further use by authorities under the Registration of Criminal and Undesireable Persons Act. This will require offenders to recorded and their DNA samples to be taken.  "This move is a milestone in the utilisation of DNA profile for recording and registration of criminals, especially incestual rapists" Dr Rais, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department,  said. Offenders will also be required to report to the police for a specified period of time after their release.

Afghanistan: More schools on the way for eager Afghan children

Since the fall of the Taliban, Afghan children have been returning to school with renewed enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. Several schools have shown a ten-fold increase in enrolment since last year.

Many girls who have not been able to attend schools for the past 6 years and boys who were only allowed to learn the Koran are now thronging school corridors and classrooms in the hope of learning what most other children learn in schools.

However, this has created a great stress on the limited resources that Afghanistan has and has resulted in overcrowding of schools.

Efforts by organizations such as world vision are a key  resource for the Afghan government to accommodate all it's children in schools. World Vision, Japan and the Government of Japan are expanding a school that they  have recently completed building to accommodate 500 more children and open 20 more classrooms.

Another project by World Vision, Ireland and the Government of Ireland  will feature 23 classrooms, one office and one meeting room, 20 latrines, septic and absorption tanks, a ground reservoir, an elevated reservoir and a perimeter fence. Doors are scheduled to open by March 15, 2003.

A third project by World Vision Hong Kong and World Vision CBF is expected to benefit 2,150 kindergarten children in Kabul by February this year.

India: Bank accounts for street children

Chetna, an NGO working in the capital city of India, Delhi, is helping street children open bank accounts and save the money they earn through their labour.

Pakistan: Infant offered for Jihad

Though the custom of offering of infants to holy shrines is not new to Pakistan, this is the first instance of an infant being offered for Jilad (holy war).

A Muslim today mother presented her 18-month-old infant to Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, former chief of the banned militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba during a sermon.

In a written message, the mother said, " I am highly impressed by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's lecture on the crusade against anti-Muslim forces. In this scenario, it is my obligation as a staunch Muslim to offer everything I have for the cause of Islam and to fight the infidels. Therefore, I offer my son for this sacred mission."

Saeed, in his sermon, called for freedom fighters to fight against American imperialism and defend Iraq if it were attacked by the United States of America. Growing dissent against the United States within Pakistan is wide spread in spite of President Musharraf's 'friendly ties' with the Bush administration.

[One World]

Malaysia: Polygamy laws relaxed to benefit children

The state government of Perlis, the smallest and northernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia, has relaxed conditions of polygamy stating that this would protect children born out of the second marriage.

Many Malaysian men marry for the second time in Thailand and do not register their marriages in Malaysia. Because of this, children born out of this marriage are not registered citizens of Malaysia though they may be living in Malaysia.

However, this move has received widespread criticism from women's rights activists and the Women's Affairs Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who described the move as an insult to women.

Religious authorities who support polygamy have warned that groups which were critical of the move on polygamy would be in danger of committing a 'wrong' by denying its legality under Islamic law.

Bangladesh: Attempt to free 1,200 imprisoned children

A study conducted by a Bangladesh human rights group, Odhikar, and Save the Children, UK found that 1,200 children were jailed in 65 jails around Bangladesh. More than 400 children being imprisoned in the Dhaka Central Jail.

The study revealed that most of the children belonged to poor families and were often victims of exploitation - either by political groups using them to carry explosives to target opponents or by drug smuggling gangs.

The survey also found that children were often illegally kept with adult prisoners, but officials said correctional facilities were being expanded to ensure children could be kept separately.

The Bangladesh high court issued an order to the government and the Inspector General (Prisons) to submit a report on the  condition of children in the jails. The order drew attention to the study mentioned above and the another titled "Miserable Lives of 400 children in Dhaka Central Jail".

Odhikar (Rights) is working towards attaining legal freedom for the children. "Some of the children were orphans or had none to pursue their case and I am sure that if their cases are taken to court they will be freed either on bail or for good, depending on the charges for which they have been detained," Nazrul Islam, programme co-ordinator of Odhikar said.

[Gulf Daily News, News From Bangladesh]

India: Inhuman punishment for kids 'Misbehavior'

3 kids were forced to eat human excreta as punishment by their teacher in a school in the Madhya Pradesh state of India.

The three eight-year-olds still can't figure out what they did wrong. Rameshwar, student said, "Our teacher dragged us outside and kicked us and tried to force us to eat excreta."

Rather than being apologetic when confronted by the children's parents, the teacher Surinder Misra, challenged them to take any action against him. He said that he had punished the children for misbehaving.

Though the teacher has now been arrested, the children will never be able to return to their school without further humiliation.

[NDTV]

Pakistan: Children's education faces set back because of 'unsafe schools'

Out of a total of 43, 035 schools in the Sindh province of Pakistan, 5,732 government schools are lying closed and another 2,471 are being run in dilapidated buildings. 13 per cent (5,544) of those lying closed are located in rural areas where the government is already facing the challenge of illiteracy and poor enrolment at educational institutions.

According to the official figures, from the Sindh Education Management Information Systems (SEMIS), more than 28,300 schools lack basic facilities like drinking water, toilets and boundary walls. Out of the 7,246 buildings of girls schools, 3,895 have no boundary walls.

Only 7,826 schools of the total 43,035 have the power facility whereas 26,951 have no play grounds. As for the advanced facilities, only 1,051 have laboratories and just 911 have libraries. School management committees existed at 31,656 schools.

According to the SEMIS census, only 45 per cent of 6.789 million population falling in the age bracket of 4-14 - considered eligible to attend primary, middle and secondary school classes - were enrolled in the educational institutions run by the Sindh government during the session 2001-2002.

This low attendance and enrollment rate in the province is further hampered by the lack of infrastructure and negligence on the part of the government.

[DAWN  Internet Edition]

Japan: Internet-based child prostitution on the rise

666 cases of child prostitution, related to online dating sites, were filed by the police between January to November 2002, 286 cases more than 2001. A report by the police said that teenage girls under 18 solicited sex mostly by using websites to contact people who had mobile phones.

Japan's police are advocating for new laws to curb inter-based child prostitution. Under current regulations the police can arrest adults who engage in sex with a minor or profit from child prostitution, but can't take action against minors who solicit sex on their own. Proposed reforms suggest making it illegal for minors to peddle sex and imposing fines on them, though it stopped short of proposing prison time as punishment.

Anti-prostitution groups say men who pay for sex seldom get caught. Several groups have published surveys showing that up to 40 percent of Japanese men have paid for sex at least once. About 60 million Web-linked mobile phones are used by Japan's 127 million people. Half of all Japanese households have Internet connections.

[Ananova]

Sri Lanka: Teen escapees from LTTE, 200 teenagers being "forcibly" trained

Three teenage boys who escaped from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an insurgency group in Sri Lanka, surrendered to the police. The boys said that they were abducted by the LTTE about a month back and given military training at an LTTE Camp.

The teenagers also mentioned to the police and the army that at least 200 other teenage boys were currently undergoing military training at the camp. Most of them were abducted from the eastern regions of Sri Lanka and were being forcibly trained by the LTTE.

[The Colombo Page]

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) bans use of children as camel jockeys

The use of children under the age of 15 as camel jockeys in the United Arab Emirates in the sport of camel racing is a known violation of children's rights. Most of the children used as jockeys are illegally smuggled from South East Asian countries, particularly from Bangladesh, into the UAE.

In a move to correct this violation and end the use of children as jockeys, the Emirates Camel Racing Federation (ECRF) has taken a firm stand against the use of children under the age of 15 as jockeys.

The federation has passed guidelines stating that, 'No-one is permitted to ride camels in camel-races unless they have a minimum weight of 35 kg, and are not less than 15 years old, as stated in their passports.' A medical committee has been set up to examine each candidate to be a jockey to check that the age stated in their passport is correct. Under the Federation's rules, the owners of UAE camel-racing stables are responsible for returning children under 15 who were formerly employed as jockeys to their home countries.

UAE authorities urged the cooperation of the countries of origin in order to effectively tackle the illegal smuggling of children and enforce the ban.

[News From Bangladesh (NFB)]

Malaysia: Reported child abuse not indicative of real crisis

Most cases of child abuse, rape and incest go unreported because of fear of societal stigma, said the Emergency Medicine specialist of Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) and the one-stop Crisis Center (OSCC). The OSCC run by the Kuala Lumpur Hospital gets the largest number of referrals of women and child abuse cases. However, specialists here say that these numbers are only the tip of the iceberg and many cases go unreported.

Under-reporting in the case of child abuse is very common because of the fear of stigmatization, this causes the violence to continue and the victims face further trauma. Most cases brought to the OSCC are in the early or middle stages. Severe abuse cases came to light too late - the victims either died at the scene of the abuse or enroute to the hospital.

Victims suffer from emotional, psychological, physiological and social-economic distress caused by the injuries inflicted upon them. The majority of the victims referred to the center also feel anger, guilt, shame and suffer from low self-esteem, post traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

Some also suffer from Stockholm syndrome where victims protect their abusers against arrest or legal action. This makes it further difficult to persecute the offenders for their abuse.

On December 26, the government made a plea to the public to report any forms of child abuse. Under the Child Act passed in 2001, the social welfare department is legislated to provide protection for all children who have been reported to have suffered abuse.

With the reality of under-reporting and many cases of child abuse going unreported, the Child Act 2001 is vital in addressing societal stigma and providing treatment to abused children in Malaysia.

[Malaysian National News Agency]

Pakistan: Girls as young as 3 killed for having illicit relations

A report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan stated that children as young as 3 to 10-years-old were killed under the Kari-a term used for illicit relations, in the Sindh Province of Pakistan in 2002.

The centuries-old customary murders, popularly known as Karo-kari (honour-killing) in Sindh have already claimed more than 382 lives during the year. According to the report, about 137 men and 245 women were killed either by their relatives, spouses or others in 293 Karo-kari events.

The report reveals that out of 200 accused, arrested for their involvement in honour killing, only eight could be prosecuted and punished 70 murderers, who eliminated their relatives were still at large.

Condemning the barbarism demonstrated by the culprits, the report said that 30 of the women slain under Karo-kari custom, were chopped into pieces and their body parts thrown into Indus River.

Only 10 per cent of the victims, it added, appeared to be guilty of the offence they were accused of while the rest 90 per cent were killed simply to level scores with enemies and rivals in personal disputes.

[Dawn Internet Edition]

Afghanistan: Children smile to peacekeeping Santas

British Peacekeepers donned in red Santa hats brought smiles to hundreds of children in Afghanistan's only children's Hospital. An appeal in Britain before Christmas has raised more than eight tons of warm clothes for street children and other disadvantaged kids to help them survive the bitter winter, as well as toys to cheer up the sick.

The hospital lacks basic facilities such as stable electricity and adequate heating which are needed to keep the children warm from the chilling winters and perform operations without interruptions. The troops are now trying to raise funds for a generator in order to over come the frequent power cuts faced by the hospital and ensure that operations can go on uninterrupted.

[Afghan News Network]

Bangladesh: 70,000 children and women trafficked in 11 years

Officials from the Bangladesh National Women's Lawyers Association (BNWLA) revealed that 70,000 children and women have been trafficked out of Bangladesh in the 11 years before 2001 and at least 2 lakh women were trafficked out of the country between 1998-1999.

This was part of a meeting organized by an NOD Jagarani Janakalyan Sangstha on the role of political leaders and civil society on fighting human trafficking. Speakers at the meeting urged various factions of society to cooperate with government efforts to curb the increasing trafficking of children and women out of Bangladesh.

[News From Bangladesh]

Kashmir: 3 children killed by Islamic militant gunmen

Islamic gunmen attacked a village in India-administrated Kashmir and shot three sleeping children injuring three adults. This brings  the total number of civilians killed in the past 3 days to 11.

Most of the families affected by the violence are Muslim families thought to be government informers by the miliants.

[BBC News]

Philippines: The New People's Army (NPA) uses children as human shields

In a recent clash between the NPA and the Army, the guerilla's took 'offensive position' behind a hut occupied by civilians including children. The NPA has been waging a 34-year insurgency war which has outlived four governments in the Philippines.

Commenting on the incident, military chief Dionisio Santiago said that the NPA was not only known for recruiting minors as fighters and couriers but also used them as human shields during encounters. Children commonly got caught in between cross-fires because of the NPA.

Child combatants ordinarily fight side-by-side with older communist fighters in mountain ranges in the Philippines.

Philippines is included in the United Nations list of countries where children are used as combatants.

[The Manila Times]

Malaysia: Cabinet to decide on death penalty for child rapists

The Malaysian cabinet is mulling over imposing death penalty for child rapists. Though a decision has not been reached as yet, there have been varied opinions within the country regarding the issue.

The government has received a lot of letters saying that the death penalty may be too stiff and may hinder collecting information from the victims.

Considering the number of child rape cases that already go unreported, imposing death penalty may only increase this number instead of helping the victims. This could particularly affect victims who are raped by family members who are the only breadwinners of the family.

This will greatly affect not only the reporting of child rape cases but also proving them, since gathering evidence in such cases is extremely difficult.

Under these circumstances, the government may need to think of other punishments for child rape other than death penalty, said the Malaysian Home Minister.

[Utusan Online]

Child Soldiers in Asia: UN Report names Governments, Groups

In a 14-page report to the UN Security Council, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has named 23 insurgent groups and 5 member states that still recruit and use child soldiers.

Afghanistan has been named as one of the member states that uses child soldiers. It named factions of the remnant Taleban, factions associated with the former Northern Alliance and factions in south of Afghanistan as organizations that still recruit or use child soldiers.

The report also lists some countries involved in conflicts that are not on the security council agenda but use child soldiers. These include Myanmar-considered one of the world's worst offender- along with Nepal, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka among other nations.

In a report released last month by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, the coalition described Myanmar as the world's largest single user of child soldiers estimated at more than 70,000 with children as young as 11 forcibly recruited into the Myanmar National Army.

The report also stated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sri Lanka as being known for not only recruiting child soldiers but also going back on their commitment to end the use of child soldiers.

Otunnu, the U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict, said that ''for the first time in an official report to the Security Council, those who violate standards for the protection of war-affected children have been specifically named and listed''.

''It is a bold step forward in global efforts to render unacceptable the exploitation and victimisation of children during times of conflict,'' he added.

[Inter Press Service News Agency/ BBC News]

Nepal: Education Facilities for Child Domestic Workers

Child domestic work is a common form of child labour in Nepal. There are around 21,000 child domestic workers in Katmandu valley and 77,000 child domestic workers in Nepal. However, the education of child domestic workers is not a priority among their employers. In fact, only 6 percent of all child domestic workers are treated well, says Shanti Adhikari, the president of an NGO, Children Women in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH) working for the education child domestic workers.

Most employers of child domestics either deny employing children or refuge to talk to NGO workers regarding them. In spite of the large number of child domestics in Katmandu, only 200 have been enrolled in non-formal school in 5 areas around Katmandu. Almost 60-80% of child domestics who do study are enrolled in government schools. However, the drop-out rate is extremely high among this group of children. Most of them drop out midway either because of the burden of household chores or are pulled out of school by their employers.

The Ministry of Labour and Transport plans to draft a master plan of Action that will eliminate the worst forms of child labour (which includes child domestic labour) within the next 5 years in Nepal and all forms of labour within the next 10 years.

[The Kathmandu Post]

Pakistan: Violence Against Children on the rise

Madadgar, a Joint Venture by UNICEF and Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) revealed that 1,506 cases of physical and sexual abuse against children were reported in the past 11 months in 2002 in Pakistan.

Out of the reported 1506 cases, 580 cases of murder against children, boys and girls, 339 cases of rape, 298 cases of sodomy, 193 cases of injury and 60 different cases of severe torture were reported in the prominent national and provincial newspapers. Despite the huge figure many cases of violence against children and women had gone unreported, thus unpunished.

In the same period, 4,136 different cases of physical as well as sexual abuse were reported against women. Out of the reported 4,136 cases, 1,321 cases of women murder, 925 cases of rape, 350 cases of torture, 90 cases of burnt and 13 cases of stripping were reported in the Press.

This reflects an increasing violation of the Convention on rights of the child and the Universal declaration of Human rights by the government of Pakistan.

Thailand: Domestic Violence drives children onto the streets

The problem of street children partly stems from an unpleasant atmosphere at home, said the director of the Institute for Child Adolescent Mental Health in a seminar organized on 'How to help Street children'. Many children get fed up with the beatings they get from their parents at home by the age of 10 and take to the streets.

A social worker attending the seminar mentioned that the street children she worked with belonged to middle class families where domestic violence against children was present and rich children who did not want to obey family laws.

Drugs, and sex were a common thing among street children and nearly half of them are infected with HIV/AIDS, said an aid worker while talking about the risks faced by street children in Thailand. Street children tend to take up to such evils since they want to become part of a peer group. Most street children are extremely loyal to their peers and view adults as their enemies.

Those attending the seminar felt that the solution to street children in Thailand may lie in the homes that they run away from. Parents should know how to deal with their emotions and should also be aware of other disciplining strategies instead of resorting to beating their children.

Afghanistan: Children Die in army exercise

Four Afghan civilians have been killed and three others injured during a military training exercise in Afghanistan.

The incident happened on Friday afternoon when they wandered into the range of a mortar fired by an Afghan National Army battalion, coalition military sources told CNN. Most of the casualties are believed to be children, said sources close to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The civilians were searching for scrap metal on the vast, unfenced training area outside of Kabul.

The U.S Army, who was training the Afghan battalion, followed all the procedures for warning nearby villagers, the sources said, including firing a warning flare and posting guards on the main road outside the camp.

The Afghan battalion is in its eighth week of a 10-week training program.

The troops were instructed to fire a mortar over a hill at an unseen target, which was a ruined building, when they discovered the civilians had been hit.
 

Bangladesh: 30 Bangladeshi Children Langushing in West Bengal Homes

More than 30 Bangladeshi children trafficked to India have been languishing indifferent government homes in West Bengal for the last two years. Lack of action by the relevant departments of the West Bengal state government has forced the kids to stay away from their home for such a long time.

Asked about their inaction, sources concerned said they are handicapped because the state's Juvenile Justice Board has not yet started to function. The board was formed in May this year but the rules for its functioning are yet to be made. "This is a shocking failure, more so because other states in the country such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have already implemented the Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Act 2000," one source noted.

Soacial Welfare Minister of West Bengal Biswanath Choudhury, however, seems least concerned over the issue. "The rules have been drafted and they have been sent to the judicial department. Once they are finalised, the children will be sent back," is all that he said. When pointed out that he had been repeating the statement for the last three months, he commented, "The process of law should not be hampered. The children will have to stay here as long as the rules are not finalised."

Officials of the Bnagladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are also at a loss as to what they can do to get the kids back home. "Over the last 18 months, we have been trying to repatriate 30 Bangladeshi children who had been trafficked to India. But we have failed to do so as the board (Juvenile Justice Board) is yet to function here," a senior official said.

About the number of children usually trafficked across the border into West Bengal every year, Jahanara Siddiqui (counselor, political and cultural) said, "We cannot get an exact figure simply because we have to depend on the Indian home ministry and the NGOs for information on children trafficked across the border."

At present, 15 Bangladeshi children are staying at the Dhruvashram, 13 at the Kishalaya Home and a few others in a home at Liluah.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Ashania Mission, an NGO, had obtained clearance from the Bangladesh government to bring nine children back to Dhaka about six months ago. But it also failed to do so as the board here is not functioning.

[The daily Star]

SRI LANKA: EX-POLITICO'S DAUGHTER SENTENCED FOR TORTURING CHILD SERVANT

A member of a powerful political family was yesterday handed a jail term after being convicted for ill-treating a child domestic.

Bhoopa Vishaka Weerasinghe, daughter of late Nanda Ellawala, the political giant of Sabaragamuwa, was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty of torturing 10-year-old Nirosha Ramalingam. She was also ordered to pay Rs. 105,000 as compensation to the victim by High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya.

The trial which caused ripples in political circles commenced before Colombo High Court on March 25, 2000 and concluded on March 25, 2002. The convict is also the daughter of former Ratnapura District PA Parliamentarian Surangani Ellawala and sister of late Nalanda Ellawala, ex- MP.

Bhoopa Vishaka Weerasinghe was indicted by the Attorney General under the Penal Code Amendment Act No. 22 of 1995, Section 308 A (2) for wilfully ill-treating and brutally torturing Ramalingam alias 'Mala' at Weerasinghe's residence at Madiwala between June 29, 1998 to June 26, 1999.

After trial, Court found Weerasinghe guilty of the three charges punishable under the said Section Amendment Act of the Penal Code.

According to the judgement, Weerasinghe was found guilty of wilfully ill treating the girl by pinching her hands, slapping her cheeks and placing a heated knife on her hand causing burn injuries. She was also found guilty of slapping the victim and assaulting her on the chest.

The Court ordered Weerasinghe three years' rigorous imprisonment on each count to be served concurrently. The Court also ordered her to pay Rs. 105,000 (Rs. 35,000 per count) as compensation to the victim.

Earlier Nirosha in evidence said she was subjected to a series of torture by her employer "Vishaka Nona" at her Madiwela house. Nirosha said she was brought to Weerasinghe's residence as a domestic aide when she was 10 and had been employed for five years.

Describing the harassment and torture she underwent at the hands of "Vishaka Nona" Nirosha said she used to always grumble and find fault with her.

Very often Weerasinghe had treated her rudely, slapped her face and pinched her hands and body. Her duties included washing, house keeping, cleaning the toilet, watering the plants and looking after the children. She was paid Rs. 500 a month, Nirosha said.

Weerasinghe had also placed a heated knife on Nirosha's hand torturing her. The JMO also submitted a detailed report in relation to the victim's allegations. During one stage of the trial, Court had to issue warrants on the Director Kalutara Hospital for failing to submit vital documents in this case.

Meanwhile Hultfsdorp sources indicated that an appeal challenging her conviction was filed in the Court of Appeal yesterday.

AFGHANISTAN: CHILLING WINTER CLAIMS 10 CHILDREN IN REFUGEE CAMPS

AT least 10 Afghan children have died in the past few days in plummeting temperatures at camps for displaced people near the Pakistan border, the United Nations has said.

The UN's High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the children died near the Afghan town of Spin Boldak, seven kilometres from the frontier.

"It is truly sad news that these small children did not survive when the temperature dropped suddenly during the night," UNHCR's deputy chief of operation Daniel Endres said.

"Medical experts are verifying the exact causes of these deaths, but in the meantime we are delivering winter items in the Spin Boldak camps as a matter of urgency."

According to aid workers in the area, at least five of the children, all under four years old, had suffered pneumonia and other illnesses as night temperatures dipped as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius.

The UNHCR said it was also verifying reports of further deaths at Chaman, on the Pakistan side of the border, where Afghan refugees are stuck awaiting repatriation.

It said it had dispatched six trucks carrying 3500 quilts to the area over the weekend and a further 28,500 blankets were on their way.

More than 10,000 people live in camps around Spin Boldak after being displaced by more than two decades of war exacerbated by drought. There are an estimated 700,000 displaced people in Afghanistan.

THAILAND: TEEN BEATS 4-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH

NONG KHAI - A 14-year-old boy beat a younger neighbour to death on Saturday night after the four-year-old jumped from a haystack onto his stomach.

Dr ML Somchai Chakraphan, an inspector at the Public Health Ministry, said a normal child would never attack a friend so savagely, even in state of fury.

[The Nation]