A report released by the Human Rights Watch on Monday accused the Tamil Tiger rebels of carrying out human rights abuses in Sri Lanka by increasing their forced recruitment of youth and by forcing civilians to do labor work near the frontlines.
"Human Rights Watch research shows that the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] has brutally and systematically abused the Tamil population on whose behalf they claim to fight," the report said.
The report says that the LTTE rebels continue to "systematically compel young men and women, including children," to join their ranks, adding that the rebels have "dramatically increased their forced recruitment," the report says.
The report says the rebels often force family members of those who flee to the battlefront to "perform dangerous labor," and have successfully blocked civilians from leaving the areas under their control.
Recently, the fighting between the Tamil Tiger rebels and the government forces have intensified after the Sri Lankan government launched an all out offensive against the rebels, aiming to crush them by the year's end.
It is estimated that more than 70,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the country's civil war after the Tamil Tiger rebels launched an armed rebellion in 1983, demanding an independent state for the Tamil minority in the island's north and east regions.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
December 19, 2025 15:10 ET U.S. inflation data and interest rate decisions by major central banks were the highlights of this busy week for economics news flow. Employment data and survey results on the housing markets also gained attention in the U.S. In Europe, the European Central Bank and Bank of England announced their policy decisions and macroeconomic projections.