An Office for Reparations to provide reparations to individuals affected by conflict, political, civil disobedience or enforced disappearances received Cabinet approval with amendments yesterday.
Co-cabinet spokesperson, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the proposal had been put to Cabinet by Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe with the request for it to be sent to the Legal Draftsman and the subsequent bill be gazetted and presented to Parliament.
Senaratne addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing said he together with other ministers had objected to one section which called for reparations to be also paid to families which had members involved in terrorist activities, “We can’t compensate them because that would mean that we are condoning terrorism”.
In 2015, the Government of Sri Lanka recognised the right to reparations by committing to the establishment of an Office for Reparations at the 30th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) through UNHRC Resolution 30/1.
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