Sri Lanka's Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission to record evidence from former Peace Secretariat head

Bernard Goonetilleke, former head of Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat that was operational during the period of the conflict, is to give evidence before the Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission when it commences sittings this morning.

The eight-member Commission will conduct its hearings at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute in Colombo 7.
The Commission's Secretary S. M. Samarakoon has told the local media that during the seven day public hearing, evidence will be recorded from several top government officials, former diplomats, academics, and intellectuals.
Some of the individuals to give evidence before the Commission are S.L. Gunasekara, Tamil politician V. Anandasangaree, Godfrey Gunatilaka, Hiranthi Wijemanne, MP Mangala Smaraweera, Nihal Rodrigo, Austin Fernando, Rajan Asirwatham, Rajiva Wijesinha, Manel Abesekara, Jayantha Dhanapala and Asoka Gunasekara.
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is to give evidence before the commission on August 17.
The Commission is to meet from August 11 till the 25th. Sessions on August 14th and 15th are to be held in Vavuniya.
The Reconciliation Commission is chaired by the former Attorney General Chitta Ranjan de Silva and it includes President's Counsel Dr. Amrith Rohan Perera, Prof. Mohamed Thahir, Professor Karunaratne Hangawatte of the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), Attorneys-at-Law Mohamed Jiffry, Chandirapal Chanmugam, H.M.G. Siripala Palihakkara, Mrs. Manohari Ramanathan and Maxwell Parakrama Paranagama.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in May 2010 appointed the Commission to report on the lessons to be learnt from the events in the period between 21st February 2002 to 19th May 2009.