Sri Lanka incurs heavy cost for rehabilitation of ex-rebels

Sri Lanka Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe says that the government had spent Rs. 100 million per month since May 2009 for the rehabilitation of the former combatants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

However, the expenses have decreased to Rs. 65 million a month now since many of the ex-rebels have been rehabilitated and released to the society.
With the defeat of the LTTE, 11,000 rebel cadres surrendered to the Sri Lankan security forces. Of them, nearly 5,000 have been rehabilitated and socialized now, says Brigadier Ranasinghe.

The latest batch of 498 rehabilitated rebels, more than a half of them women, was released Friday in Vavuniya.

The ex-combatants are being given vocational training at 12 rehabilitation centers in Vavuniya to prepare them to adjust to the society and earn a living. In addition, they have been given industrial training in their respective fields. According to the military spokesman about 4,500 combatants have already been able to find employment.

The government plans to release another 1,500 rehabilitated LTTE cadres this month.