The National Peace Council (NPC) has said that a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the lines of the South African set-up could help Sri Lanka address accountability issues.

“There have been media reports of a ministerial delegation visiting South Africa to undertake a study of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the reconciliation process that took place in that country over two decades ago.  The South African reconciliation process,and its Truth and Reconciliation Commission in particular, have gained worldwide recognition for being a pioneer in dealing with human rights violations and war crimes that took place in the course of the struggle against Apartheid,” the NPC has said.

“An important feature of the South African TRC was its openness and transparency. The public hearings held by the TRC ensured that South Africans became aware of the violations that had been committed during the apartheid years.  The National Peace Council (NPC) believes that such a commission could provide Sri Lankan people with renewed hope in terms of peace and reconciliation for those who have been affected by gross human rights violations. It is hoped the TRC will enable families of the missing to have the opportunity to learn about the fate of their relatives, who went missing during the war and leftist insurrection.

“The reconciliation process should be a home grown one which is organic to Sri Lanka. NPC believes that Sri Lanka should venture beyond retributive justice and restorative justice. While the criminal justice system uses retributive justice as a form of deterrence this has not provided protection against the repetition of crime.  Restoring society to the pre-war period is not adequate to achieve reconciliation, neither is punishing those involved as it can polarize society in a manner where there is no organic social consciousness of guilt.  NPC believes that the transformative approach of the South African model is more suitable than the retributive justice process which is not suitable for ethnic conflicts or large-scale conflicts.

“The challenge will be to find solutions that are in line with Sri Lankan values and forms of justice that are accepted by the Sri Lankan people along with the rejection of violence. Accordingly, NPC believes that it is necessary for the TRC to be representative to instill confidence in the victims.  It is of paramount importance that the members of the commission are selected via a consultative process as was the South African TRC where its members were selected through an open countrywide nomination process and publicly interviewed by an independent selection panel comprising representatives of all the political parties, civil society, and the religious bodies in the country. Hence those studying the TRC process need to ensure that a transparent process emerges in the establishment and implementation of a TRC in order to achieve peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.”

The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) says the government is trying to appoint a special committee to run the local government institutions.PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said the government move would create a situation where the local government bodies would be under the Executive President.

“Election monitors hope that the issue will be taken up at the forthcoming meeting between the National Election Commission members and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena,” Hettiarachchi said.

The Election Commission (EC) has requested Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene in writing for a discussion regarding holding the 2023 local government election. EC Commission, Nimal G. Punchihewa said that the request had been made to discuss the issues pertaining to the 2023 LG polls, which have been postponed twice this year alone.PM Dinesh Gunawardene told parliament last week that he had decided to call the commission for a discussion on matters related to the LG polls.

The US Army and the Sri Lanka Navy recently concluded a joint exercise (Feb 27-March 24) in Trincomalee. It was the latest exercise under the Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) ‘Balance Style’. It involved 24 Special Boat Squadron (SBS) personnel, 12 from Fourth Fast Attack Flotilla and nine members of Special Force Operational Detachment Alpha of the US Army.

The Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) mainly focused on Mission Planning (MP), Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Close Quarter Battle (CQB), Combat Marksmanship and Sniper Training (CMST), etc. with the theoretical and practical sessions.