Army prepared to extend logistical support

The Army Commander Lieutenant General, Sarath Fonseka yesterday said that the Sri Lanka Army was fully prepared to extend necessary logistical support and conceptual inputs to authorities to carry out rehabilitation and reintegration programs for ex-combatants.

The Army Commander during an exchange of views on Demobilization, Disarmament, Re-integration of ex-combatants with a visiting consultative team, welcomed specialised expertise and consultations on these lines at a time when the humanitarian operation in the north was coming to an end.

He further said that the role of the Army was expanding, with the liberation of areas and people who had lived under Tiger tyranny for more than two decades.

“Thus special expertise and consultations on these lines is very much needed and highly appreciated” the Army Commander said. The consultative team, headed by Dayani Panagoda, National Process Manager (National Framework on Registration of Ex-Combatants) of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights included Jose Manuel Ferro Pinotes, International Consultant to International Labor Organization (ILO) and Ravindra Samithadasa, program assistant(ILO). During the exchange of views, Dayani Panagoda briefed the Commander on the overall national infrastructure in place to promote national reconstruction and reintegration of former LTTE combatants by way of post-conflict rehabilitation, reintegration, self employment opportunities, micro-finance and enterprise openings and various other self-development strategies while monitoring their progress, both here or abroad.