‘LLRC implementation getting off to good start’

*Report commissioned to investigate internal issues

*Govt’s stance on Darusman report clear and consistent

Waruna PADMASIRI

“The government has made a good start to implementing the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Within the next two months, the process of implementing the LLRC recommendations will get fully underway,” External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris said.

He said the government will not present the LLRC report to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as it was a report commissioned by the President to investigate internal issues. Prof Peiris said so at yesterday’s joint press conference with his Indonesian counterpart Dr. Marty Natalegawa.

Answering a question from the media, Minister Peiris said that the upcoming Human Rights Council session in Geneva was discussed, among other issues.

He said that the government’s stance on the Darusman report has been clear and consistent and the domestic mechanism of the LLRC was set up to address the internal issue. The Indonesian Foreign Minister who is on a two day visit to Sri Lanka held bilateral discussions with Minister Peiris earlier yesterday.

Minister Natalegawa said that the visit was particularly significant since this year would mark the 60th anniversary of establishing deplomatic relations with Sri Lanka.

Natalegawa said that Indonesia has a particularly close relationship with Sri Lanka as exemplified by President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Indonesia in 2011, to address the Bali Democracy Forum. Sri Lanka's historical ties with Indonesia dates back to the 1950's when the leaders of the two countries became the architects of the Non Aligned Movement.

The first ever Joint Commission was established between the two countries and two Memorandums of Understanding were signed. An ambitious target was set to reach US $ 1 billion in bilateral trade volume between the two countries by 2015.