Rock’s claims: UNICEF head asked to substantiate

Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has asked the UNICEF Head of Mission Anna Veneman to substantiate claims made by UN Special Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Ambassador Allan Rock, that UNICEF staff members had witnessed children toting guns in Karuna camps in the East.

The request follows a similar request to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy last month to substantiate with strong and credible evidence Ambassador Rock’s statement that Government troops were complicit in forcibly recruiting children to the Karuna faction.

Mr. Rock’s report has been referred to the Attorney General’s Department to study and respond to the allegations.

Meanwhile the UNICEF Colombo office, referring to a news item in The Sunday Times that a UNICEF official accompanying Mr. Rock was kept out of some meetings during his visit to the East, said the UNICEF official accompanying Mr. Rock to certain refugee camps in the North-East was present during his meetings at all times.

News Editor’s note: The Sunday Times stands by its story.