Only 500 ex-Tiger cadres remaining to be released

*320 to be reunited soon

*Legal action awaits the rest

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Eleven thousand five hundred ex-LTTE combatants out of the 12,000 surrendered or in the custody of the state have been reunited with their families after rehabilitation, Military Spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said.

He said that out of the 500 that remained around 320 would be reunited with their families soon. Brigadier Wanigasuriya said that the main reason for the delay to reunite them with their families is that the vocational training courses they are following have not yet been completed.

The Military Spokesman further stated that those rehabilitated ex-LTTE combatants were given vocational training of their choice. He added that they selected a variety of courses, including computer courses, beauty culture, tailoring, welding, motor mechanism etc.

The Brigadier added that some selected vocational training courses were lengthy. He added that there are around 320 of them who had selected such long duration courses.

Brig Wanigasuriya further stated that the 12,000 ex-LTTE combatants who surrendered or arrested by the Security Forces were given many other courses apart from the vocational training during the period they were being rehabilitated.

He added that apart from making them familiar with aesthetic subjects they were also recultured by introducing them into their own culture.

Brigadier Wanigasuriya also said that there are around 180 ex-combatants who will have to face legal action for their direct involvement in crimes of a grave nature.