Sri Lanka to release controversial war report
Sri Lanka is to publish its report into the final stages of its war with Tamil rebels despite international criticism that the probe was flawed from the start, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.
The government’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is to hand over its findings to President Mahinda Rajapakse who set up the probe last year. Rights groups have already dismissed the LLRC as a white wash.
“The report of the LLRC to look into the cause of the conflict, its effects on the people and reconciliation will be made public after it is handed over to the President,” the ministry said quoting Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris.
Peiris said the LLRC report will be made public, but only after the president has studied it.
The LLRC, comprising former government officials, was established in May last year with a November 15 deadline to complete its work.
“The President has categorically said that the report will be made public, but no exact dates can be given yet,” the minister was quoted as saying.
International rights groups have been highly critical of the LLRC, saying that it was “flawed at every level” and was no substitute for an independent war crimes probe as demanded by many, including the US and the European Union.
London-based Amnesty International in September cited eyewitness testimony and information from aid workers suggesting that at least 10,000 civilians were killed in the final military drive that crushed Tamil separatists in May 2009.
Amnesty had said that the LLRC was just the latest in a long line of failed domestic inquiries, while Sri Lanka insists that it should not be pre-judged before the LLRC findings are made public.
An April report by a panel commissioned by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon noted “credible allegations” of war crimes committed by both sides — Colombo denied the allegations, maintaining that troops did not kill a single civilian.
Sri Lanka has managed to stave off censure at UN forums thanks to the support of close allies China and Russia.
AFP Report
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Does the President not know what his own commission is recomending? A month or two ago, the Presidential Advisor on Reconcilliation was quoted by a reputed online news agency stating likely outcomes of the commission. Another hoodwink in the offing?
We cannot expect anything more from a MahaKotiyaPitiya.The Commission consists of noble
men.Wait for their Report before putting your foot
in the mouth
your correct AUJ this person never change,
What can you expect from FM, the alter ego of DC, except sour comments. Diaspora Tamil/LTTE, TNA, pro-imperial West INGOs and NGOs, and imperial West are the only people who criciticised, even before the report was out, and will go on criticising the LLRC report once published. The majority of the world community, who are anti-imperial West, will support SL in its endeavours to forge a ONE NATION ONE COUNTRY despite the evil machinations of the imperial West and its hangers-on.
A.U.J
The Commission consists of not only “noble” men but a noble woman as well and she bears a Tamil name too!
It is well known Presidential Advisor on Reconcilliation was involved in writing up the recommendations.
The recommendations of course are well known. Excerpts from the report have been floating around in web media for quite some time.
Do you think the report will recommend some members of the ruling elite (including ex LTT cadres in Cabinet, PC’s and senior LTT leaders in Custody eg: KP) be arrested and handed over to the Hague?
Well done Frederick,
As a victim of LTT violence, I do expect the LLRC to recommend the immediate arrest of
ex LTT leader in Cabinet
ex LTT leader in Eastern Provincial Council
ex LTT 2nd in command now in custody in Visumpaya
and either go on trial in local courts for war crimes and terrorism or be handed over to international courts to satisfy the international community that a “fair” trial was afforded to the accused.
Local courts may not be adeqaute as the diaspora has in recent days stepped up attackes on CJ, Dr Banadaranaike.
The UN report correctly identifies both parties to the war, LTT and GOSL as war crime offenders and unless visible LTT leaders who have changed their stripes are put on trial, the pressure from international community will continue.
If the LLRC fails to commit LTT leaders to trial, it will be the biggest letdown of the Sinhala race.