Road map for implementing LLRC recommendation

by Manjula FERNANDO

The Government said it was engaged in designing a roadmap to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report.

Minister in Charge of Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe told the Sunday Observer yesterday that the Government was committed to implement the report, denying allegations to the contrary.He said if the Government wished to disregard the recommendations, it would never have presented the report in Parliament.

"We could have easily said this report has areas which endanger national security and therefore we can't release the report and we could have kept everyone guessing on what we plan on doing."

The Minister who will head the Sri Lankan delegation to the Human Rights Sessions in Geneva next month said, "It is correct that we are not going to present the LLRC report to the Council. It was a domestic process and it has no relevance in terms of an official document to be placed before the Human Rights Council."

However, he said his team was ready to answer clarifications on the LLRC by delegates at the HRC.

"We are prepared to answer any questions concerning as to what the Government plans on doing with the LLRC report. We have acted very sincerely, in a committed manner and we continue to do that."

"Some delegations will refer to the LLRC report in the course of their interventions, because it has been made a public document. There will be others who want to seek clarifications on the report, especially in the context of what the government plans on doing with the report. At that point our delegation will exercise our rights of reply."

He called allegations that the Government was unprepared to face UNHRC challenges as mere wishful thinking on the part of those who want to create trouble for Sri Lanka.

"When the 'Darusman Report' was sent by the UN Secretary General to the President of UNHRC as an information document, an attempt was made by certain countries to bring it before the Council as an official document. We intervened at that point and Sri Lanka was supported by a few countries. They said if this Darusman Report got access as an official document, that would create a very bad precedent."

"The Darusman Report was not mandated by the Human Rights Council nor any other inter-governmental body. Therefore, we said this report cannot come from the back door of the HRC. Finally, that position had to be accepted. The same principle goes to the LLRC report as it was not mandated by the HRC," the Minister said.