New US Law Passed in Congress would jeopardize well being of US Citizen Gothabaya and resident Gen. Fonseka in child recruitment scandals in EP

New US law to crack down on child recruits

New US Law Passed in Congress would jeopardize well being of US Citizen Gothabaya and resident Gen. Fonseka in child recruitment scandals in EP, together with Karuna/Pillaiyan Para military group:
Now US Congress would be obligated and duty bound to investigate all child recruitment allegations against the armed Para military group which was and is protected, funded, and armed by the GOSL, Defense Secretary and US Citizen Gothabaya Rajapakse, and Green Card holder and Army commander who is scheduled to retire in a few months, General Sarath Fonseka. Tamils For Justice welcome the law, and future investigations and would facilitate any US investigations in the DEFACT State in VANNI next year, as the GOSL forces will definitely be beaten back and defeated in the coming months. Or else the GOSL will collapse due to the economic burden if the Tamils in the diaspora stop sending 1 Billion dollars of foreign exchange per year, by way of inward remittances and keep buying Sinhala groceries imported by Tamil retailers, with the cooperation of all the Poruppalars.- T4J.

Morning Leader - Wednesday :
The United States Government has imposed a new law to crack down on military commanders who recruit child soldiers in conflict internationally, and then seek refuge in the US.

The "Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2008," passed with support from both American political parties, makes recruitment of children under 15 a federal offence and allows the US government to file charges against both US citizens and non-citizens who are in the United States.

The law allows the US to deport individuals who have recruited child soldiers, or impose penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment for offenders.

An American court may also sentence to life imprisonment, a person found to have caused death by recruiting a child combatant.

"The exploitation of children as soldiers persists in many armed conflicts because child recruiters are rarely held accountable," said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocate for Human Rights Watch.

"This law tells military commanders worldwide that they cannot recruit children into their forces and then seek safe haven in the United States."

"International tribunals are beginning to prosecute individuals for recruiting child soldiers, but almost no national governments have done so," said Becker. "The United States is giving real leadership to efforts to end the use of child soldiers."

Senator Richard Durbin authored the bipartisan bill, which he introduced together with Senators Tom Coburn, Russell Feingold, and Sam Brownback.

Countries where children are known to have been used in hostilities between 2004 and 2007 include: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, and Uganda.
From Asian Tribune : A racist website and funded by GOSL:

US Congress Acts to Prosecute Recruiters of Child Soldiers: US No Safe Haven for Exploiters
Tue, 2008-09-16 15:06

Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune

Washington, D.C. 16 September (Asiantribune.com): New legislation adopted on September 15, 2008 will permit the United States to prosecute foreign military commanders who recruit child soldiers abroad, Human Rights Watch said today. The Child Soldiers Accountability Act passed the House of Representatives unanimously on September 8 and was adopted by the Senate September 15.

In announcing this passage of the legislation in the United States Senate the New York-based Human Rights Watch singles out Sri Lanka, among several other countries, as one that has used child soldiers.

The United Nations and international rights organizations often document and accuse the LTTE and its breakaway group TMVP in Sri Lanka of using child soldiers.

The legislation gives the United States Government to prosecute U.S. citizens and non-citizens living in the United States who knowingly recruit or use child soldiers for combat purposes.

The law makes it a federal crime to knowingly recruit or use soldiers under the age of 15 and permits the United States to bring charges under the law against both US citizens and non-citizens who are in the United States. The law imposes penalties of up to 20 years, or up to life in prison if death results, and allows the United States to deport or deny entry to individuals who have knowingly recruited children as soldiers.

“The exploitation of children as soldiers persists in many armed conflicts because child recruiters are rarely held accountable,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocate for Human Rights Watch. “This law tells military commanders worldwide that they cannot recruit children into their forces and then seek safe haven in the United States.”

Children are currently used in armed conflicts in at least 17 countries. Recruiters prey upon children, who are often the most vulnerable potential recruits and the most susceptible to threats and coercion. Child soldiers are used as combatants, porters, guards and spies, and for other duties.

The recruitment and use of children as soldiers was recognized in 1998 as a war crime under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. In 2007, four former military commanders from Sierra Leone were convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for recruiting and using children as soldiers. Rebel and military commanders from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have also been charged under the International Criminal Court with recruiting and using child soldiers, though none have yet gone to trial.

“International tribunals are beginning to prosecute individuals for recruiting child soldiers, but almost no national governments have done so,” said Becker. “The United States is giving real leadership to efforts to end the use of child soldiers.”

Senator Richard Durbin authored the bipartisan bill, which he introduced together with Senators Tom Coburn, Russell Feingold, and Sam Brownback.

The Human Rights Watch in its press release said: “Countries in which children are known to have been used in hostilities between 2004 and 2007 include: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, and Uganda.”

- Asian Tribune -

Even the Sri Lankan army continues to recruit the underage children covered up by bogus birth certificates as the deserters have increased to 65,000.
Most of them have joined the under world, para military, and security services including one started by the Defense Secretary Gothabaya himself.
Thjat is the height of corruption, cronyism, nepotism, and family bandism.

- T4J