‘Govt. upholds co-existence’ | Daily News

‘Govt. upholds co-existence’

The government has taken adequate steps to foster co-existence while successfully facing challenges posed by the Geneva Human Rights Commission, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

The Minister was speaking to the media after addressing an awareness programme attended by Trincomalee UC members at the Trincomalee Town Hall recently.

Minister Ranawaka said the government appointed a commission to probe disappearances and also have set up a data bank on disappeared persons after collecting information through government agents. The underlying factor is that no political murders were reported during the last four years.

“Now, 10 years have passed since the armed conflict. If we go in search of mass graves, we would be compelled to probe incidents from the Portuguese period. Rather than searching for mass graves or blaming each other at international fora, we should forget the past and grant relief to dependants of the disappeared persons by issuing certificates on behalf of them,” he said.

“Similarly we should pay compensation to non-combatants whose property was damaged during the conflict. If essential, land should be retained for the military after paying compensation to the owners of those lands. Relief should be granted to people fallen destitute. A handful of military personnel and LTTE members amounting to less than 100 should be pardoned and this question should be ended forthwith. If we go to the past, all parties may have to be punished. We cannot go that far. The country should move forward by taking a leaf from the last four years period,” he said. 


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