evidence: UNICEF STATEMENT ON CHILDREN PROTESTING IN SRI LANKA Colombo, 8 April 2022-"Children’s rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, including in peaceful protest, are enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Sri Lanka has signed and ratified. In exercising these rights, children must not be manipulated. They should be given the opportunity to meaningfully voice their own concerns and participate in matters that affect their futures, and they need to be listened to. All actors must refrain from violence, and fundamental guarantees for the protection of children must remain applicable everywhere, at all times. As the Government of Sri Lanka works to resolve the current situation, UNICEF urges that such efforts prioritize the needs of children and safeguard their rights to education and health in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, always keeping in mind the best interest of the child."