President Mahinda Rajapaksa has issued a warrant appointing a five- member independent committee to comprehensively examine and provide recommendations for his consideration with regard to the report by the US Department of State to the Congress on "Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka".

This was stated at a press briefing by Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights today (06).

The committee is chaired by Mr. D. S. Wijesinghe, President's Counsel. The other members are Mr. Nihal Jayamanna, President's Counsel, Mr. C. R. De Silva, President's Counsel and Former Attorney General, Mrs. Manoramanadan, Attorney at Law, formerly Senior Legal Draftsman and leading educationist Mrs. Jesima Ismail, Former Vice Chancellor of the Eastern Province University and Principal of Muslim Ladies College.

The report of the committee is to be submitted to the President on or before 31 December 2009.