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Friday, July 16, 2010 - 12.00 GMT |
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Reconciliation
Commission to meet Kilinochchi officials |
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The Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation will meet public officials in Kilinochchi later this month. The eight-member Commission has already met four times to discuss modalities of work and it was decided to hold sittings in the affected areas in the North and East to enable the public to have easy access to the Commission and enhance awareness of its work.
The first meeting of the Commission in Kilinochchi later this month will be attended by public officials including Divisional Secretaries. The discussions will focus on modalities and institutional matters in order to set the stage for public hearings scheduled to begin in end August or early September 2010. The Commission felt that holding its sessions in provinces would enable it to gather firsthand information, especially in the affected areas.
The Commission has already issued a public notice calling for written representations from the public or individual organizations. The public has been given time till August 18, 2010 to make representations, after which it will commence sitting.
The members of the Commission will be assisted by an eminent team of lawyers drawn from the unofficial bar, comprising President's Counsel and other senior attorneys.
The Commission is being facilitated in its functions by a Secretariat headed by a Secretary General. Immediately after the proclamation to appoint the Commission was gazetted, the Cabinet Of Ministers granted a sum of Rs 10 million to enable the Commission to start operations without delay. The General Treasury, based on the expenditure estimates provided by the Secretariat, will allocate additional funds when required.
The appointment of the Commission stems from the President’s overriding interest in the need for restorative justice by the Sri Lankan people. Its findings will seek to take the Sri Lankan nation towards the common goals of a multi-ethnic polity, in a spirit of cooperation, partnership and friendship, learning the lessons from recent history to ensure that there will be no recurrence of such tragic conflict in the future.
In assessing the Lessons Learnt from the recent conflict phase there will be the search for any violations of internationally accepted norms of conduct in such conflict situations, and the circumstances that may have led to such actions, and identify any persons or groups responsible for such acts.
It is also expected that recommendations would be made on the nature of compensation to be granted to the victims or their dependents who have suffered in this conflict situation, as well as the institutional, administrative and welfare measures already taken in the post-conflict phase, and should be further taken in order to effect reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation.
The legislative and administrative measures that may be necessary in order to prevent such situations in the future, and to promote national unity and reconciliation among all communities is also be part of the mandate given by the President.
The Commission, which was appointed on May 15, 2010, is to submit a report to the President within six months from the date of appointment.
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