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Peace Committee for Trincomalee

by Jayantha Sri Nissanka

As Trincomalee limped back to normal following Friday's violent incidents, a Peace Committee comprising civic and religious leaders in the area was set up to defuse tensions and create a climate of peaceful coexistence between the major communities.

This followed a visit to the trouble hit areas by a Ministerial delegation headed by Interior Minister John Amaratunga. The peace committee will be headed by the Government Agent of the district and will comprise religious leaders of the Buddhist, Catholic, Muslim and Hindu faiths.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission will be the coordinator of the Committee. Minister Amaratunga told the Daily News that the situation was back to normal but the curfew will continue for a few days to avoid violent scenes during the funerals of the victims.

"Once normality returns we will invite the Trincomalee LTTE leader to be in the Peace Committee. This could help avoid future clashes," the Minister said.

Asked who was behind the incidents, Minister Amaratunga they had deployed four groups to investigate the whole episode. "We will also find out if there was a hidden hand behind the incidents. The minister and the delegation visited the hospital to inquire after the welfare of the victims of Friday's clashes."

Yesterday too all shops and businesses were closed as a mark of protest against the deaths.

The Government has already ordered a special inquiry into the incidents that took place in Trincomalee on Friday after clashes left 3 dead and 34 injured. On being informed of the incidents Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe immediately order the Armed Forces to quell the disturbances. The incident took place amidst reports that saboteurs of the peace process were taking cover behind the current tension in the East to create clashes.

Meanwhile, retired Air Vice Marshal Harry Goonatileke will head the Committee of Inquiry appointed by the Interior Ministry to investigate the Kanjiramkuda STF camp incident in Akkaraipattu on October 9. The other members are Oliver Weerasena and Samithambi Vivekanandan while SSP M. J. Savangan will function as Secretary to the Committee.

The Committee will entertain oral representations in this connection. All written representations could be submitted to the Commission C\O Secretary, Ministry of Interior, 15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 3.

According to a Media release issued by Secretary Ministry of Interior M. N. Junaid, the Committee will be tasked among other things to investigate whether any outside elements were responsible for the incidents in order to cripple law and order and to sabotage the peace process.

The mandate of the Committee will also cover investigating the attack on October 9 at Kanjiramkuda with a view to identifying and ascertaining those responsible based on prima facie evidence. It will also be tasked with examining the background /reasons for the incidents and the manner in which they took place and proposing the necessary measures to prevent such conflicts in the future inclusive of structural organisational arrangements required, if any.

The Committee will also propose measures to be taken by the government, LTTE and SLMM and other relevant persons and organisations to promote cooperation and understanding between the political cadres, residents, as well as Members of the Armed Forces, STF and the Police, with the view to eliminating recurrence of such incidents.

It will also recommend to the government a suitable compensatory scheme for the affected persons. The Report of the Committee will be handed over to the Minister of Interior on October 30, 2002.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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