Sri Lanka says US Senate Resolution overlooked the capacity and track record of Reconciliation Commission

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) appointed by the President of Sri Lanka to probe the events and violations of humanitarian laws during the final stages of war has a wide ranging mandate including the capacity to consider any evidence indicating violations of international humanitarian or human rights laws, the government said today.

Sri Lanka's External Affairs Ministry in response to the United States Resolution S.RES.84 said in a statement issued Friday said those who framed the text of the Resolution, have overlooked the capacity and strong track record of the LLRC as a domestic mechanism, to work for reconciliation and the further strengthening of national amity.

The Ministry pointed out that the LLRC has been appointed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act which gives powers to the Attorney-General to institute criminal proceedings based on material collected in the course of an investigation or inquiry by the Commission.

The LLRC has worked in a most proactive manner, the Ministry said, apprising that the Commission has engaged in several field visits to conflict-affected areas to gather testimony from affected civilians including those in places of detention, rehabilitation and welfare centers for the internally displaced.

Based on the evidence from these visits and public hearings in Colombo, the Commission has already presented Interim Recommendations to the President and the President and the Cabinet of Ministers have established an Inter-Agency Advisory Committee to follow up on the recommendations, the External Affairs Ministry said.

The LLRC had made recommendations to be taken with regard to detention of suspects, land issues, law and order, administrative and language issues and the socio-economic and livelihood issues.

Under the measures recommended by the LLRC, Sri Lanka military recently released a vast amount of land and thousands of houses occupied by the security forces as High Security Zones in conflict-affected areas to their rightful owners.

The government has recruited Tamil speaking officers to its police force in order to perform law enforcement duties in Tamil language.

The Ministry pointed out that the United States has welcomed the establishment of the LLRC and the Resolution itself acknowledged the Sri Lankan government's commitment for a political settlement and reconciliation for a peaceful and just society.

US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan E. Rice in May 2010 welcomed the appointment of the LLRC and called on the Sri Lankan government to make the findings of the Commission public.

The Ministry said that it is well known that motivated groups target influential bodies such as the US Senate, with a view to persuading those entities to adopt ill-founded positions.

"It is therefore important that an equal opportunity should be afforded for alternate and more legitimate points of view to be heard, before a conclusion is reached," the Ministry said.

The resolution introduced to the Senate floor by the Republican United States senator from Pennsylvania Robert Casey, Jr. and co-sponsored by 11 other senators from both parties has been passed and agreed to without amendment.

While acknowledging the establishment of the LLRC, the S. RES. 84 called on the Sri Lankan government, the international community, and the United Nations "to establish an independent international accountability mechanism to look into reports of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations committed by both sides during and after the war in Sri Lanka and to make recommendations regarding accountability."