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| Ajanth's daughter grieves at her funeral. Photograph GTN |
A 23 year old Tamil girl recruited into the Sri Lankan army has been reported dead by military officials.
The girl, Ajantha Prashad, was recruited on May 22 this year and was undertaking her military training in Jaffna, reports Uthayan.
According to military officials she died shortly after being admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital, due to "an illness".
Ajantha is originally from Selvapuram in Mullaitivu district. Her body was cremated after it was handed over to her family.
Since the end of the armed conflict the Sri Lankan military has targeted Tamil women across the North-East as part of an aggressive recruitment drive.
The drive, which focuses solely on women, has been marred by numerous reports of coercion and sexual assault of recruits, as well as death in unexplained circumstances.
In March, a 23 year old Tamil woman described repeated sexual assault by senior military officials. Describing her ordeal, she told the Uthayan newspaper she was forced to have sexual intercourse with over 10 high ranking officials in the army, as well as other soldiers in lower ranks.
Last year, a 24 year old Tamil woman who had been recently recruited into the Civil Defence Force, disappeared and was found dead three days later in Maankulam. Her family raised concerns she was sexually assaulted.
In April this year, the body of a Tamil woman was found in a well in Visvamadu. The body was identified as that of a 32 year old woman named Rajasulosana who was employed by the Sri Lankan army in the cultivation of toddy (palm wine). She had been raped with evidence of lacerations across her neck.
See related articles:
SL recruitment drive for young Tamil women (11 May 2014)
Tamil women coerced into SL army says C.V. Wigneswaran (09 Mar 2014)
Army to recruit more Tamil women from North-East (24 Feb 2014)
More Tamil women recruited into Sri Lankan Army (28 Aug 2013)
SL Army reconciles Tamil women (03 Dec 2013)
Sri Lankan Army coerces Tamil women into joining (13 Dec 2012)
Tamil women recruited in SL army, sexually assaulted (30 Nov 2012)
Correction: This article has been revised to reflect the recruit's correct age.