COLOMBO. May 4: A UN envoy met with Sri Lankan officials Monday as part of a campaign to keep children out of the country's 15-year-old ethnic war. reports AP.

Olara Otunnu arrived in this Indian Ocean island Sunday on a week-long visit during which he will travel to areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the main rebel group.

The Sri Lankan government accuses the LTTE of using children as fighters in its battle for an independent homeland for the minority Tamils.

The UN appointed Otunnu as special representative for children in armed conflict after the General Assembly adopted a report by Graca Machel in 1996.

"Mr Otunnu's visit is a recognition of Sri Lanka's desire to implement the Machel Report, which would contribute towards addressing the issue comprehensively at both the national and international level." the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday after Otunnu met with Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and other officials.

Otunnu was not available for comment.

Otunnu's duties include lob bying governments and private organisations to enforce the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which calls on states not to recruit children be low age 15 into armed forces. He has also urged the creation of programme to help integrate former child fighters into society.

The Li 1E announced Sunday it would observe a unilateral cease fire Wednesday and Thursday, apparently timed to coincide with Otunnu s visit to the war theater.

11 more killed in fighting

Meanwhile Tamil Tiger rebels shot and killed 10 Sri Lankan policemen and a government soldier during a raid near the eastern city of Trin-comalee. the Defence Ministry said Monday.

Defence Ministry spokesman Major Kumara Dewage said a group of guerillas attacked the Patchanoor police post and fatally shot 10 policemen and wounded five others during the Sunday night attack.