(ST)Govt. takes action on LLRC recommendations; report in parliament early next month
The Government will announce details of an investigative mechanism to probe incidents as recommended by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission when the report is tabled in Parliament early next month.
According to the government’s current thinking, the probes into matters relating to post-war incidents are likely to be placed in the hands of the Police, particularly the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The Sunday Times revealed exclusively last week that the LLRC will ask the government to investigate incidents that may have occurred during the final stages of the war that militarily defeated the Tiger guerrillas two and half years ago.
The report said this is on the grounds that there appears to be a prima facie case based on the information the commissioners have received. However, the report added that the Commissioners have not named the specific incidents nor identified the persons responsible for them.
Sources close to the Commission said yesterday that the Commission had recorded testimony from persons who claim to be eyewitnesses to certain incidents. It is those statements that have prompted the Commission to conclude there is a prima facie case and warrants investigation.
Yet the Commission has not identified any incidents on its own nor named any possible persons who may be involved. Besides President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who received the first copy of the final report of the LLRC last Sunday from its Chairman, C.R. de Silva, President’s Counsel, the Sunday Times learns copies have also been provided to the External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and the Attorney General’s Department.
Government sources said yesterday that the English version of the observations and recommendations in the final report of the LLRC would be first presented in Parliament. Thereafter, Sinhala and Tamil translations would follow.
The move to detail out an investigative mechanism together with the release of the observations and recommendations, government sources say, is to demonstrate the administration’s resolve to initiate prompt action.
ST