Over 400 former combatants released

The Sri Lankan government will release 484 former Tamil Tiger rebel cadres surrendered to the security forces at the final stage of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The former rebel fighters that are to be reintegrated into the society today have undergone a rehabilitation programme. They have been given vocational training, said the Rehabilitation Commissioner General Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe. These ex-combatants are married residents of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya Districts, he said.

The ceremony for the release of these ex-rebel cadres will be held in Vavuniya with the participation of the family members of the rehabilitated persons under the patronage of the Minister of Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera.

The Rehabilitation Commissioner General said that so far 6,109 ex-rebel cadres have been released and further 4,200 are being rehabilitated.

During the last stages of the war 11,696 former rebels surrendered to the security forces. About 160 of them who are hardcore LTTE cadres are detained and facing court hearings for the crimes they committed during the war. (www.colombopage.com)