Treasury to finance LLRC implementation
* Media, dpl
community to be periodically briefed
* Government
strategy practical
The government’s strategy for implementation of the recommendations
contained in the Report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission is practical and action-oriented, and the financial resources
required for this purpose will be released by the Treasury, External
Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said on Tuesday.
He made this statement when he called on Archbishop of Colombo,
Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at Archbishop’s House.
The allocation of funds will be made in respect of each of the
ministries, departments and statutory bodies tasked with implementation
of different sections of the Report, the minister explained.
Commenting on the unprecedentedly large number of high level foreign
visits to Sri Lanka in recent weeks, the minister said that the
government’s policy of allowing and indeed facilitating open access to
the Northern Province and all other parts of the country had brought in
its wake substantial benefits to the country.
This has enabled visitors of the calibre of Lord Naseby, Special
Representative of the Japanese government Ambassador Yasushi Akashi and
ten members of the British Parliament to share with the international
community their first-hand impressions of the progress on the ground.
Many of them had indicated that comparable progress in post-conflict
situations in other parts of the world had taken more than a decade, the
minister observed. Prof. Peiris explained that the Universal Periodic
Review process applies to all 192 members of the United Nations, each of
whom comes up for review every four and a half years. He described in
detail the steps taken by the government in this regard, and the course
of action contemplated for the future.
The Minister provided Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith with an account of the
role which the government envisaged for the Parliamentary Select
Committee, and the essential function of that Committee in relation to
the overall political process.
He informed Cardinal Ranjith that the government would continue from
time to time the practice of holding briefing sessions for local and
foreign media, as well as for the diplomatic community, as the
implementation process moves forward. The minister emphasized the
importance of the role of religious leaders as a unifying force in
strengthening this process, and said that the government appreciates
such advice and guidance.
Cardinal Ranjith assured the Minister of the readiness of the Church
to assist national initiatives in any constructive manner. The Minister
thanked His Eminence for his perceptive insights regarding the current
situation and suggestions regarding the way forward.
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