Minister Samarasinghe said so addressing the 16th Session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday (28) adding that the process of formulating this Plan, which prescribes progressive benchmarks to be achieved during a five-year period, is nearing completion, with its implementation to commence in the near future.

“It is our expectation that the holistic approach we envisage in this Plan encompassing the promotion and protection of all rights, would also supplement the ongoing post-conflict reconciliation process.”

The methodology that was adopted in formulating the Plan is significant in that, it is based on a participatory approach, which included civil society organizations, he said.

Consequent to stocktaking of the human rights situation in the country, eight thematic areas were identified. The process involved an examination of Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), including civil society submissions and recommendations of UN human rights mechanisms over the past ten years. Drafting Committees on which Government and civil society were equally represented, also considered several proposals, which have been reviewed by an Inter-Ministerial Committee towards them being prioritized and fine-tuned, he said.

As we informed this body last year, an important step in the Government's reconciliation program is the “The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission” (LLRC), appointed by the President. This Commission commenced its work in August 2010 with an emphasis on restorative justice. It will also focus attention on determining responsibility regarding past events related to the conflict. The mandate of the Commission has been extended, given the larger number of persons seeking to testify before the LLRC.”

The LLRC has conducted several public hearings in Colombo and in the areas of the former conflict affected North and East, with a view to obtaining views and accounts of people affected by the conflict. LLRC hearings have also been held in places of detention, rehabilitation, and IDP welfare centres in the conflict affected areas, and have been recently concluded, he said.

Another significant milestone in the work of this Commission has been the establishment of the Inter-Agency Advisory Committee (IAAC) under the chairmanship of the Attorney-General. The Commission has been able to use the mechanism of the IAAC to facilitate early implementation of its interim recommendations, the Minister said.

These include, seeking measures for the speedy disposal of cases relating to persons in detention in keeping with due process, to ensure family members are informed in the event of the change of location of detention, use of private land in former conflict areas, and the disarming of any remaining illegal armed groups. Further, administrative changes relating to the use of both official languages in business with government and facilitation of closer interaction between people and provincial authorities, as guaranteed by the Constitution, have also been recommended, he said.

Towards the implementation of these interim recommendations, the Government of Sri Lanka has sought the transfer of 676 ex-combatant detainees for rehabilitation and subsequent release. This reduction will make it possible to close one of two detention centres in the country. Additionally, the collection of unauthorized weaponry is an on-going process that began in the East and is continuing in the North. The High Security Zones are being progressively reduced in extent and land in these areas is available to be restored to its rightful owners, he said.

The Minister informed the Session that considerable action has been taken by the Government to facilitate the restoration of normal lives of the returning IDPs.

He also said that they had now begun to reap the dividends of peace exemplified by the large number of development programs to enable the economic uplift of the people. Minister Samarasinghe who is the Special Envoy of the President and Head of the Sri Lanka delegation to Geneva detailing the comprehensive steps taken by the Government to restore normality in post war Sri Lanka also said the poverty rate which was 15.2 in 2006 during the conflict was halved and stood at 7.6 in 2009, after the end of the conflict.

He said the massive humanitarian operations that were conducted during the final stages of eradicating terrorism, focused on ensuring the safety and security of all civilians and on their rescue from the bondage of terrorism.

Expectedly the State, complemented by bilateral partners, multilateral agencies and international and local non-governmental organizations, began delivering on its responsibility of caring for approximately 300,000 displaced persons, he said.

In the post conflict period, the Government has been engaged in the most challenging task, firstly, of catering to the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and thereafter returning to their homes and reintegrating them into society. Only a total of 12,000 IDPs remain in three welfare villages functioning in Vavuniya and Jaffna, at present.

They will be resettled in their places of origin no sooner the on-going demining operations are complete, the Minister said.