A/HRC/8/46 Page 5 where these workers have been harmed in any way are being and will be investigated and any breaches of the law punished. 13. The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) is a lawfully and validly registered political party under the electoral laws of Sri Lanka. It took part in two highly competitive electoral campaigns, the second of which has just successfully concluded with 65.78% of voters exercising their franchise. The Government has thus successfully created a conducive environment for democratic pluralism and facilitated the entry into the political mainstream of groups who hitherto resorted to armed violence in the pursuit of a separate State. This constitutes the first step in the realization of effective devolution of power based on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The high voter turnout in the Eastern Province also demonstrates not only an interest in protecting democratic rights, denied for two decades by the forces of terror, but also confidence in the commitment of the Government to devolve far-reaching powers to the provinces to address the genuine grievances of the people in these areas. The induction of groups who have previously resorted to terror into the mainstream of politics is a gradual process which cannot be achieved overnight. This development, which is entirely salutary in the context of re-democratization of the Eastern Province, should not be confused with the existence of armed paramilitary groups. Complete disarming of paramilitaries will take place when normality is restored, sporadic threats from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) die down and democracy takes a firmer foothold. 14. Hon. Samarasinghe said that a very important factor confronting States in fighting terrorism is the phenomenon of terrorist fund-raising. It is universally acknowledged that such fund-raising, both direct and indirect through so-called charitable fronts, provides a vital resource to sustain terrorist campaigns that destabilize democracies and lead to violations of human rights. It is therefore imperative that the States of the international community effectively discharge its obligations in terms of relevant Security Council resolutions and international conventions by taking effective measures to counter fund-raising efforts in their territories and the transmission of such funds to other States to perpetrate acts of terror. 15. Sri Lanka believes that a strong, independent and vigilant media is a sine qua non for democracy to thrive. The Constitution enshrines the freedom of thought, the right to hold opinions and the freedom of expression. Courts have gone further in holding that this also encompasses the right to receive and impart information. The Government is perturbed by the alleged attacks on media workers and especially repulsed by the killing of media workers. The Government in no way condones or endorses any such attacks. All complaints will be impartially and thoroughly investigated. 16. As regards the issue of child soldiers, the Hon. Samarasinghe stated that the Government of Sri Lanka reiterates the position taken in its national report and emphasizes its zero-tolerance policy supported by strong legislative measures. The Government was encouraged that the TMVP facilitated the release in April of 39 children held by the paramilitary group known as the Karuna Faction. The Government is pleased to note that UNICEF has recorded a drop of children held by the Karuna Faction from 164 in January 2008 to 76 at the end of April. Unfortunately the figures for the LTTE are not as encouraging. The Government has called on all groups that have used children in armed conflict to cease the practice immediately and to release all minors in their custody. 17. In respect of the rights of freedom of religion, Sri Lanka has a non-derogable constitutional provision guaranteeing freedom of religion. This is the standard against which all proposed legislation, including anti-conversion legislation, is assessed. The question of unethical conversion