Reconciliation Task Force to hand over report in September

By Manjula Fernando

The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms headed by reputed Human Rights Defender and attorney-at-law Manouri Muttetuwegama will submit its final report to the Government late September.

Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Secretary of the Task Force told the Sunday Observer yesterday that they hoped to wrap up entertaining public submissions by the end of this month and submit the report by mid or late September this year.

Comprising eleven members, most of whom represented civil society groups and human rights defenders; the Task Force is required to obtain public opinion as to how the government should shape future reconciliation mechanisms.

These reconciliation mechanisms include an Office of Missing Persons, a Truth, Reconciliation, Justice and Non-Recurrence Commission, a judicial mechanism with a Special Counsel and an Office of Reparations.

The Task Force was appointed in January this year by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The work of the Task Force began with an online submission process. Later, face-to-face consultations were carried out in all districts along with focus group discussions with the military personnel, families of disappeared and religious leaders, apart from structured interviews. Dr.Saravanamuttu said there were public meetings giving people the opportunity to make representations and the response at these meetings were very encouraging in the North as well as the South.

He said there was a general feeling to have the truth established, and the material that has been reaching the Task Force is currently being collated into a report. But their aspirations as to what sort of a Commission they need varies across the country.

“Some desire a mechanism consisting entirely of Sri Lankans, while others have called for a combination or a commission consisting of only international members. The Task Force has not planned to submit an interim report preceding their final report.