DailyMirror
President to appoint seven eminent persons for the committee
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will shortly appoint a Commission to inquire if any internationally accepted conventions were violated during the war and the circumstances that may have led to such violations and identify any persons or groups responsible for such acts, the presidential secretariat said yesterday.
“Recommendations are to be sought on the nature of compensation to be paid to the victims or their dependants who have suffered in this conflict, as well as the institutional, administrative and welfare measures already taken in the post-conflict phase, and the steps to effect reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation,” the secretariat said in statement.
It said the president was of the view that the situation today provided an opportune moment to reflect on the recent conflict and on how much the country had suffered and the manner in which the common aspirations of all people could be fulfilled and the need to be assured of an era of peace,harmony and prosperity.
The secretariat said this inquiry stemmed from the President’s overriding interest in the need for restorative justice for the Sri Lankan people. The Commission’s 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 would be no recurrence of such a tragic conflict in the future.
The legislative and administrative measures that may be necessary to prevent such situations in the future, and to promote national unity and reconciliation among all communities will also be part of the mandate of the Commission.
The Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation will comprise seven eminent Sri Lankans from here and abroad and its terms of reference are to be Gazetted in the next few days.