• 24 OMP panels from Aug., 14 PTA prisoners to be released, Land Comm. Policy Act by Sept., Cabinet to vet identified archaeology excavation sites, decision pending on all country passports for Lankans in South India rehab camps

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, during a discussion with Tamil Parliamentarians representing the North and East on Tuesday (18), stated that while the Government was reluctant to involve foreign judges in the administration of justice in the North and East (N-E), it would however consider obtaining reports from foreign observers, following existing systems in South and East Asian countries.

A number of other matters were discussed at the meeting concerning missing persons, the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), reparations to families of missing persons, the grant of Presidential pardons to Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) prisoners convicted over involvement in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam-related activities, occupied land release, archaeological acquisitions, Lankan refugees in South India, and internally displaced persons (IDPs).  

Of the 21,374 complaints received by the OMP, investigations into 3,462 have been completed thus far. In response to the Tamil MPs' concerns that the complaints received by the Office of the Investigation of Missing Persons did not provide complete information about the missing persons, President Wickremesinghe requested that detailed information be submitted for forwarding to the Interim Secretariat for the Truth Finding Mechanism. Further, the OMP is also consulting with the Attorney General’s (AG) Department to work on a case handling policy document, and to outline a framework and guide for case closure, amalgamation, and the merger of multiple, double entry files and complaints. Accordingly, the OMP and the AG’s Department have drafted guidelines focusing on the effective management of complaints made to previous Commissions and the OMP. The OMP will submit the guidelines to the Ministry of Justice for its endorsement by the Cabinet of Ministers. Moreover, the OMP will train 10 new panels in July 2023. The recruitment of panel members is in progress and it is expected that these panels will start functioning from August. Therefore, a total of 24 panels will be in operation from August. Further, the OMP has planned to have a resource team per district for referral services.

The payment of monetary relief has been made by the Office for Reparations for 203 cases of missing persons from the North/East conflict amounting to Rs. 40,600,000 as at 12 July 2023.

Considering the recommendations of the Minister of Prison Affairs President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, the President has granted approval to remit the balance sentences of 14 out of 22 PTA prisoners who have been imposed other sentences and to release them.

Steps are being taken to expedite the establishment of the National Land Commission and a national land policy. A draft National Land Commission Law has been prepared in this regard. Accordingly, the Cabinet granted approval on 4 July for the draft to be further studied by the Cabinet Sub Committee appointed for formulating a Policy Pertaining to the Alienation of State Land, and to submit recommendations to the Cabinet. A Land Commission Policy Act will also be ready by September for the National Land Commission to be guided in their functions within the framework of the Land Commission Act.

The present occupation of land by the security forces and the Police is 3754.06 acres (State 861.62 acres and private 2892.44 acres) (the Army has 2609.22 acres, the Navy has 459.3 acres, the Air Force has 660.32 acres and the Police has 25.22 acres). In terms of lands that can be released immediately, the Army and the Navy have identified 1.36 acres in Jaffna, while the Army has identified 12.66 acres in Kilinochchi and 20 acres in Mullaitivu. With regard to lands that can be released in three to six months, the Army has identified 52.90 acres in the Jaffna District. Concerning lands that can be released temporarily for specific purposes, agriculture and seasonal crops, the Army has identified a land strip of approximately 289.30 acres from the Security Forces (Jaffna) - Army Cantonment in Palaly. A board headed by a Major General was appointed on 5 July 2023, by the Army Commander to study which lands in the Northern Province can be further released. The Board proceedings are ongoing, and the report will be submitted on or before 22 July 2023.

The Department of Archaeology and the Central Cultural Fund have been informed that land demarcation and excavation work all over the country should be done according to a national plan. The Director General (DG) of Archaeology has been instructed to prioritise and plan excavation work, the identification of sites and how they should be carried out. Where any site is identified for excavation, there should be a report on such from the DG to the Ministry Secretary, and the Minister will submit such a report to the Cabinet. Where excavations are ongoing in certain sites, the Department should take action to provide a status report of the work done every six months. Accordingly, an action plan will be presented by the Archaeological Department for the activities related to the identification of the areas to be conserved and concerning proper acquisition.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration has received a list of 2,678 Sri Lankans living in rehabilitation camps in South India. All those with both a Sri Lankan birth certificate and national identity card can be issued all country passports. A decision has to, therefore, be taken to issue all country passports to the rest of the list of Sri Lankans living in rehabilitation camps in South India.

In the Jaffna District, there are 2,311 IDP families remaining to be resettled, 136 of whom are in 15 welfare centres and camps while 2,175 are with friends and relatives. A total of 182 IDP families of Kilinochchi remain with their friends and relatives in the Peninsula. A total of 177 IDPs live in the Pachchilaippalli Division, under the Grama Niladhari Divisions of Iththavi, Mugamalai and Vempodukerny where demining is in progress. In the Trincomalee District, 39 families belonging to the Kinniya Divisional Secretariat live with their friends and relatives.