The first transit
centre for underage cadres released by the LTTE opened in
Kilinochchi on Friday October 3, 2003. The centre is part
of a comprehensive programme called the Action Plan for
Children Affected by War initiated by the GOSL and LTTE
with the facilitation of UNICEF and other partners. The
decision to formulate an Action Plan was taken at the fifth
round of peace talks in Berlin in February 2003.
Dr. John Gooneratne, Deputy
Director-General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the
Peace Process (SCOPP), officially opened the centre. The
center, which serves as a mechanism for the release, assessment
and reintegration of children affected by war, can accommodate
up to 150 children at a given time. Two more transit centres
are under construction in the districts of Batticaloa and
Trincomalee. |