The Sri Lankan government will table two important commission reports in Parliament to coincide with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva. Highly placed government sources told the Daily News that the Presidential Commission Investigating Cases of Missing Persons (PCICMP) report would be tabled in Parliament towards the end of this month. The report was handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena by its Chairman Maxwell Paranagama, a retired High Court judge, two weeks ago. Paranagama’s Commission report mainly deals with issues related to violation of the International Humanitarian Law or War Crimes allegedly committed by both parties and the recommendations to prevent a repetition.
At the same time, plans are afoot to publish the much talked about report of the commission headed by retired justice Nissanka Udalagama which probed into the killings of 17 NGO workers just months before the commencement of the final phase of war against the LTTE. The commission has already handed over an interim report to President Sirisena.
The Udalagama commission was appointed after the CID conducted investigations into the killing of 17 Non-Governmental Organisation workers on August 4, 2006 in Muttur. The outcome of the inquiry was forwarded to the Attorney General on April 18, 2007 under Reference Number CR1/185/2007. However, many sections in the international community raised doubts over the bona fides of the Sri Lankan government when it came to inquiries into the killings.
In 2006, faced with international outcry, the government appointed an eight-member Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Nissanka Udalagama to investigate a series of incidents, including the killing of five students in Trincomalee and the massacre of aid workers of Action Against Hunger (ACF) in Muttur. Although the commission concluded its work, its report was never published by the government. Even the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, appointed by the Rajapaksa government to address concerns of the international community, recommended its publication.
( Original Caption: Two reports in House to coincide with UNHRC session )
by Rasika Jayakodi.
CDN