Cabinet Reconciliation Sub-Comm. to visit North

Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda and Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms President’s Counsel (PC) Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will visit Kurunthur Malai in Mullaitivu and Vedukkunari Malai in Vavuniya in the North on 1 November to resolve longstanding temple-related issues in the area. 

During the initial meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Reconciliation held yesterday (25), it was decided to visit the above locations to identify and resolve the said issues, Devananda said.

Speaking to The Morning, Devananda further noted that a proposal by him highlighting land issues, the activities of the Department of Archaeology, foreign and natural reserves, the Mahaweli L Zone, missing persons, detainees, the pardoning of all Tamil political prisoners through a method similar to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of South Africa, the implementation of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution on administrative languages, maintaining the ethnic proportionality in the Security Forces, and forming a Ministry for Northern affairs was submitted to the Sub-Committee, and a framework based on these will be created for discussion at the next meeting scheduled to be held on 31 October. 

“I handed over the proposal with the issues in the North and it was accepted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe who Chairs the Sub-Committee, and it will be formulated into a framework. I will function as a bridge between the North and the South to create reconciliation,” he added. 

The Cabinet on 17 October approved the proposal presented by President Wickremesinghe to establish the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Reconciliation Chaired by the President, to promote reconciliation between the various sections of the population, and to propose solutions to the problems faced by the people regarding resettlement, lands, and missing persons after the conflict in the North and the East.

This Sub-Committee also comprises Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Devananda, Dr. Rajapakshe, and Minister of Foreign Affairs M.U.M. Ali Sabry PC.