Speeding up action on LTTE detainees begins

The special committee appointed to study the cases of detained LTTE suspects and expedite legal actions where necessary, began its work by visiting the Boossa detention camp and interviewed 182 detainees on Wednesday.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed the four-member committee to study the cases of detained LTTE suspects and recommend suitable action to expedite the cases against them.

The committee is headed by Deputy Solicitor General Shavindra Fernando and includes Senior State Counsel P. Kumararatnam, Chethiya Goonesekera and Dinal Ratnayake.

Its appointment follows a recommendation by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to expedite the processing of detained LTTE suspects.

Following rehabilitation, 5,586 LTTE cadres out of the 11,696 detained after the war have been integrated into the normal civilian life after giving them various types of vocational training, and in some cases school education, during their detention in rehabilitation centres.  The private sector firms have shown interest to recruit them, mostly in the apparel export sector. In June last year 400 rehabilitated female LTTE cadres received employment at a garment factory.

Another 84 rehabilitated ex- LTTE cadres were released on 15 January to coincide with Thai Pongal festival.

According to the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, Brigadier Susantha Ranasinghe there were only nine rehabilitation centres for ex-LTTE combatants at present, though there had been 24 at the inception. The Rehabilitation Chief said that of some 361 child soldiers, who had sat the GCE (O/L) examination last year, 211 qualified to do GCE (A/L). (PRIU)