A timeline highlighting key developments around the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).;xNLx;;xNLx;Curated by [Groundviews](http://www.groundviews.org)
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission was a commission of inquiry appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in May 2010 after the 26-year long civil war in Sri Lanka.
One year after the war, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has established another commission; known as the ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’. Eight eminent members have been appointed. The Commission is chaired by a former Attorney General. The Commission is to ‘inquire and report’ the following: the facts and circumstances which led to the failure of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA); whether any persons/groups/institutions bear direct/indirect responsibility; ‘the lessons we would learn’ in order to ensure there would be no recurrence of such events; a methodology through which restitution to persons affected could be effected; the administrative/institutional measures which need to be taken to avoid recurrence/promote national unity and reconciliation.
Report To Congress on Measures Taken by the Government of Sri Lanka and International Bodies To Investigate Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka, and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Such Efforts
The LLRC is less than halfway through its six month term (it was established May 14, 2010). Initial actions taken by the Government of Sri Lanka, including aspects of the naming of commissioners and publication of terms of reference detailed in this report, have raised concerns regarding the LLRC’s mandate and its independence.
I gave evidence before the LLRC which became very problematic. My evidence was inaccurately or partially reported, which resulted in many unwanted and underserved comments appearing in the public domain.
An action plan prepared by the government with regard to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission was released last week. There are 91 recommendations that the action plan takes cognizance of. Each of these recommendations is looked at in terms of specific activities they entail. The action plan also identifies the government agencies that will be responsible for implementing each of these activities within a specified time frame, most of them ranging from 6 to 24 months.
Groundviews exclusively carried Jayantha Dhanapala’s response to erroneous and selective media reports of his submission to LLRC a few days ago, in which he promised an authoritative transcript of his presentation and of the question and answer session from the LLRC. A covering note to the media from Mr. Dhanapala and the transcripts were sent to us today.
Enter story info hereChandra Jayaratne is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK, a former President of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and LMD Sri Lankan of the year 2001.
Given below are translations of reports on the hearings of the Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) held in Killnochchi and Mullaitivu that appeared in Tamil newspapers. Due to the deafening silence and at times selective hearing of the English and Sinhala language media, which have either completely failed to report on the hearings held in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu or have done so in a cursory and/or selective manner, this compilation is posted to ensure the voices of the war affected are heard, and recorded for posterity.
I trust that you will kindly share these suggestions with the Commissioners and take early steps towards the implementation of accepted recommendations. Wishing you and your team all success in effectively supporting the Commissioners in delivering the desired outcomes as per the Presidential Warrant..
The following was submitted by the Friday Forum to the LLRC today by Mahen Dayanada, former Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
Enter story info hereGroundviews was able to obtain the audio recording of the testimony by Ferial Ashraff to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) on 24 September 2010. The recording is around 40 minutes long. Ms. Ashraff incorporates into this vital testimony the opinion of many women, including those directly affected by war.
Enter story info hereManik de Silva is the most senior and longest-serving Editor of an English newspaper in Sri Lanka. Presently the Editor of the Sunday Island, Manik was also a former Editor of the Daily News and is currently the President of the Editors Guild. Manik’s testimony to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) on 13th September 2010 covers, inter alia, the nature of media censorship during the war, the deliberate targeting of independent journalists by both the Government and the LTTE, the problems arising from the lack of access to war zones by independent media and views on the media and the ceasefire agreement in general.
In a joint letter, the International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have declined the invitation of Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to appear before it. The Sri Lankan government is promoting the Commission as an independent mechanism for reconciliation and restorative justice after its decades-long civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), yet the Commission fails to meet basic standards and is fatally flawed in structure and practice.
The Citizens’ Commission also recomends that the LLRC visit Puttalam to observe the conditions in which a majority of Northern Muslims continue to live and to provide the community with an opportunity of addressing the commission directly.
Though there have been a few reports anchored to this report, we do not know of any place it was published in full. Unsurprisingly, this document looks more at long-term systemic change and does not reference controversial testimony by survivors of the last leg of the war.
Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has issued a statement on behalf of CaFFE and Centre for Human Rights - Sri Lanka (CHR) condemning the intimidation of personswishing to give evidence before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation (LLRC) during iitssessions at Kayts Island and the harassment and intimidation of P. Winslow of Yaal Thinakural by an unidentified group.
Enter story info hereSpeculations that the advisory panel appointed by the UN Chief will meet the LLRC outside Sri Lanka were scotched by the commission last week, saying it would not meet any UN team outside the shores of the country.
Enter story info hereWhat this suggests to those who came to give testimony to the commission is a prima facie dismissal and disrespect of their concerns, the complete opposite of the raison d’être of the LLRC. Travel and the pace of work may well push the commissioners – who are by no means sprightly and have had to listen to hundreds of hours of testimony – to the brink of physical exhaustion. This argues for a process of rotation, or other processual ways commissioners can keep up with the hundreds of Tamil people who see the LLRC, warts and all, as a platform to air their grievances by choosing to appear in front of it. To fall asleep during testimony is simply not an option.
Groundviews is pleased to announce the launch of two archives covering media reports on and submissions to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). The archives respond to a numerous requests we got for a single-window access to this content. The content included in the archives are generated by a trusted source outside the country by going through information on the web, including the LLRC’s official website. New submissions and media reports, once sent to Groundviews, are uploaded to the archive and curated by us.
The aim of this site, moderated by the International Center for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Colombo, is meant to complement the official site of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). This site will seek to place within the public domain audio recordings, transcripts, submissions and newspaper reports of the proceedings of the Commission available to ICES. This is not a comprehensive archive. Transcripts and recordings of all representations and Sinhala media reportage have not been posted due to logistical reasons and will be posted as they become available.
The aim of this site, moderated by the International Center for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Colombo, is meant to complement the official site of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). This site will seek to place within the public domain audio recordings, transcripts, submissions and newspaper reports of the proceedings of the Commission available to ICES. This is not a comprehensive archive. Transcripts and recordings of all representations and Sinhala media reportage have not been posted due to logistical reasons and will be posted as they become available.
The Panel’s determination of credible allegations reveals a very different version of the final stages of the war than that maintained to this day by the Government of Sri Lanka. The Government says it pursued a “humanitarian rescue operation” with a policy of “zero civilian casualties.” In stark contrast, the Panel found credible allegations, which if proven, indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law was committed both by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Indeed, the conduct of the war represented a grave assault on the entire regime of international law designed to protect individual dignity during both war and peace.
Enter story info hereImmediately after the Resolution on SL was adopted in Geneva a month ago, US Secretary of State issued a short media release that said the US believes, the resolution “encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to continue on the path toward reconciliation” and for the second time said, “….. and I look forward to discussing future actions with Foreign Minister Peiris soon.” The first time in January this year, was ignored by Minister Peiris. This time he is ready to meet Madam Clinton with the “Action Plan” drawn for the implementation of the LLRC Recommendations, with no public statements made. That gives an indication as to how the Rajapaksa regime tries to handle the most important national issue.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that 50 per cent of the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) had been implemented in line with the government’s post-war national reconciliation policy.
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’s (LLRC) request for an extension of its deadline had nothing to do with the release of the UN advisory panel report, said LLRC Spokesperson, Lakshman Wickremasinghe, last week.
Field Visits (click on each highlighted public sitting to read transcript)
Public Sittings (click on each name to read transcript)
The Sri Lankan government's inquiry into the country's civil war is fundamentally flawed and provides no accountability for atrocities, according to a new Amnesty International report.
Currently, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is inquiring into the conflict and its causes and is evolving recommendations to ensure that such a situation never arises again in Sri Lanka. It is critical to wait for that body to finish its deliberations and come up with its conclusions in due time. Rushing these processes unduly may compromise the effectiveness of the implementation of the eventual recommendations.
TNA Statement on GoSL submission at UN HRC
Enter story info hereAnother session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva has come to an end. Sri Lanka has emerged unscathed, even though considerable pressure is being exerted on the Sri Lankan Government, from different actors in different quarters of the world: one, regarding a political solution to the conflict; two, regarding the issue of accountability (investigations).
When the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission was established, I thought its most important function would be with regard to the future. Through a study of what had happened in the past, it would report on how best all the people of Sri Lanka coud live together amicably, and productively, instead of engaging in the rivalries that had dogged us previously.
Enter story info hereLionel Bopage was a former General Secretary of the JVP and was involved with the party since 1968 until his resignation in 1984. For more content with Bopage on Groundviews, click here. This speech was delivered at Accountability in Sri Lanka: Common Justice in the Commonwealth, held on 20th October in Sydney, Australia.
The final report of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) will not be made public by the Commission.
Enter story info hereIn the lead up to the release of the report by Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), strong concerns have been publicly raised about the value of a process that aims to build a clear picture of the conflict, without fully including or representing those who were most directly affected. This has led to important questions regarding who has been heard, how their concerns have been addressed, and whether they will feature fully in a final report and its recommendations. While such questions have focused on vital themes of accountability, ethnic discrimination and political will, often in relation to internationally-agreed standards, they have been resoundingly quiet in a criticalarea: the space and consideration being given to women.
A widow who gave evidence to the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is now rattled by the summon given by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Another note, not unrelated: The report on human rights abuses in the aftermath of the decades-long conflict with Tamil secessionists prepared by the government's Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) will be presented to Rajapaksa around November 22. The report will then be tabled in Parliament, but will probably not be taken up for discussion or acted on until next year. The national budget will be presented on November 21 and the ensuing debate will carry on through December, after which Parliament will recess. The timing of the tabling means its official release will be delayed for two months, though details are sure to start leaking as soon as Parliament gets the report.
Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi yesterday underscored the importance of a local mechanism to reach lasting reconciliation and economic development in the country.
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was appointed by His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa in terms of the Presidential Warrant dated 15th May 2010.1 The Commission’s mandate was to look back at the conflict Sri Lanka suffered as well as to look ahead for an era of healing and peace building in the country.
Family members of the missing policemen in Sri Lanka have welcomed the recommendation by a presidential panel for a full investigation into the alleged killing of six hundred policemen. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has recommended that the killing of nearly 600 policemen in the east by who surrendered to Tamil Tigers in 1990.
For quite sometime, ever since the establishment of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), the Government of Sri Lanka has been asking its critics not to pre-judge the work of the LLRC and to await, patiently, the finalization and publication of the Report. The Report has now been published. What do we have here? Is it one that establishes beyond doubt that the Government’s version of the war, or the human rights situation in the country, is correct? If not, where has it gone wrong?
Finally, the full report of the long awaited Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is in public domain, after it was presented in parliament on Friday (16 December, 2011) by the Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. He in fact sounded very certain the recommendations would be carried out to the letter.
Readers will find no big surprises after reading the final report of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). It is very much what most people were expecting. A document that looks to the future, exonerates the military, does not touch on the question of accountability and includes some touchy-feely language about the country’s need to move forward, celebrate its diversity and be grateful for the defeat of terrorism.
External Affairs Minister Prof G. L. Peiris told Parliament yesterday that there were factual discrepancies, of the incidents that took place during the last phase of the humanitarian operation against the LTTE, in the Darusman Report and the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.
Though not without flaws and lacuna, the long awaited LLRC report does not disappoint, and reaches high standards, ranking with the best reports emanating over the decades from official and semi-official/autonomous Sri Lankan commissions, reviews and probes. It is a serious, thoughtful, carefully written and constructed text, striking in its fair-mindedness and balance. It deserves constructive engagement with, by all concerned Sri Lankan citizens and those in the world community who are concerned about and with Sri Lanka.
The International Crisis Group welcomes the public release of the report of Sri Lanka’s “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission” (LLRC), presented to the Sri Lankan parliament on 16 December 2011.
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report has crossed its limits, but its biggest blunder is making no mention about the Sinhalese people, alleges JHU secretary and minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.
India on Sunday welcomed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report which recommends measures to heal the wounds of the past, foster a process of lasting peace and reconciliation and ensure that there will be no internecine conflict in the future.
The Russian Government on December 22, said that the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) will help accelerate the national reconciliation process and strengthen peace in Sri Lanka.
We'd love to hear from you. Please send questions or feedback to the below email addresses.
Before contacting us, you may wish to visit our FAQs page which has lots of useful info on Tiki-Toki.
We can be contacted by email at: hello@tiki-toki.com.
You can also follow us on twitter at twitter.com/tiki_toki.
If you are having any problems with Tiki-Toki, please contact us as at: help@tiki-toki.com
Close