LLRC report given to President

The final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Commission’s Chairman Chitta Ranjan de Silva at Temple Trees yesterday.

In May 2010, President Rajapaksa appointed the eight-member Commission to report on the lessons to be learnt from the events in the period, Feb 2002 to May 2009, their attendant concerns and to recommend measures to ensure that there will be no recurrence of such a situation.

The LLRC held its first sittings on August 11, 2010. In November 2010, the President extended its mandate till May 15, 2011.

The Commission had regular public hearings in Colombo and in the former conflict affected areas of Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Kilinochchi. This included field visits to meet people directly affected by the conflict. It has received over 1,000 oral submissions and over 5,000 written submissions.

The government appointed an Inter-Agency Advisory Committee (IIAC) headed by the Attorney General of Sri Lanka to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations made by the LLRC during its inquiry.

The LLRC had made recommendations on action to be taken with regard to detention of suspects, land issues, law and order, administrative and language issues and socio-economic and livelihood issues.

Following recommendations by the Commission a special committee was appointed in January 2011, to study the cases of detained LTTE suspects and expedite legal action where necessary.

Implementing reconciliation measures suggested by the IIAC the government is gradually releasing lands occupied by the military as High Security Zones (HSZs) in the country, especially in the North.

The Sri Lanka Army officially handed over Subash Hotel on Victoria Road in Jaffna town in which the 52 Division Headquarters was established since December 1995, to its owner in March this year.

256 houses surrounding the Palaly HSZ have already been returned to civilians and another 2392 houses have been identified for civilian occupation in more than 2500 hectares of the land that was set apart for HSZs.

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission comprised Mr. Chitta Ranjan de Silva PC (Chair), Mr. Chandirapal Chanmugam , Prof. Karunaratne Hangawatte, Prof. Mohamed Thahir Mohamed Jiffry, Mr. Maxwell Paranagama, Mr. HMGS Palihakkara, Dr. Amrith Rohan Perera PC and Mrs Mano Ramanathan.

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission comprised Mr. Chitta Ranjan de Silva PC (Chair), Mr. Chandirapal Chanmugam , Prof. Karunaratne Hangawatte, M. T. M. Bafiq, Mr. Maxwell Paranagama, Mr. HMGS Palihakkara, Dr. Amrith Rohan Perera PC and Mrs Mano Ramanathan.