- Over 600 currently undergoing rehab
The Bureau of Rehabilitation stated that it is regularly monitoring the social environments of nearly 20,000 individuals including more than 12,000 former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters and 8,000 drug addicts, who have undergone rehabilitation from the post-war period to date.
Speaking at a media briefing yesterday (3), Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Darshana Hettiarachchi said that the bureau had rehabilitated and socialised more than 12,000 former LTTE fighters during the post-war period. “Following the rehabilitation of former LTTE members, the bureau was tasked with rehabilitating drug addicts. In addition to rehabilitation, we provide them with training opportunities in various fields, and even opportunities for them to go abroad for foreign employment.”
Referring to the rehabilitation centres located in Vavuniya, Kandakadu, and Senapura, he said that more than 600 individuals are currently being rehabilitated at these centres. “During the period from 2013 to this year (2023) alone, more than 8,000 drug addicts have been rehabilitated. Importantly, we regularly monitor the social environments of the individuals who have undergone rehabilitation, and offices have been established in 13 districts for that purpose,” he added.
Commenting on the Bureau of Rehabilitation Act, No. 2 of 2023, Hettiarachchi said that the provisions of the said Act, which have been in force since January 2023, enable individuals addicted to drugs to undergo rehabilitation voluntarily. While there was no mechanism to rehabilitate female drug addicts, he said that the new Act also included provisions to rectify that issue and enable the rehabilitation of females.
The bureau was initially set up under the guidance of the Ministry of Defence and is currently under the Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms. It works towards safeguarding the human rights of rehabs, contributing towards sustainable peace, reconciliation, social cohesion, and well-being; enhancing the employability of rehabilitees; minimising their risk of socioeconomic marginalisation; enabling them to utilise their under-utilised knowledge and skills; inculcating the values and requirement of an attitude of family-oriented culture; and preserving the next generation of the community through proper education.