COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office

SRI LANKA 7 MARCH 2012
• A psychological referral programme and made government health services
available
• Whilst the main objective was for the surrenderee to be in a position to support
their family, once able to do so they had to make a contribution to the
community e.g. to schools
―The team told us that they too were feeling the pressure to deliver the reintegration
programme. They told us that out of the 300 that had gone through the programme in
Kilinochchi, 250 of them had successfully found professions. They saw that there were
still several thousand more to go though the programme, yet the profiling of the
surrenderees is set to expire by 31 December 2011.
―On 30 September 2011 President Mahinda Rajapaksa summoned the heads of
overseas missions to a hastily arranged meeting at his official residence in Colombo,
Temple Trees. The event turned out to be a release ceremony for the remaining 1,800
ex-LTTE cadres, see: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-30/southasia/30229609_1_ltte-fighters-ltte-guerrillas-vocational-training
.‖
4.22 On 2 October 2011 the official website of the government of Sri Lanka 91 reported that
―Another batch of 1,800 former Tamil Tiger rebels who have undergone a two-year
rehabilitation program was reintegrated into society...President Rajapaksa said the
released combatants were given vocational training to live in the society as useful
citizens. The ex-combatants were provided training in masonry, carpentry, tailoring and
agriculture.‖ On 25 October 2011 the same source 92 mentioned that another batch of
367 ex-LTTE cadres who have undergone a two-year rehabilitation program would be
reintegrated into society on that day adding that ‗They were provided training in
masonry, carpentry, tailoring, agriculture, motor mechanism, computer proficiency and
handicrafts.‘ On 11 December 2011 the same source 93 , quoting the Secretary for the
Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms A. Dissanayaka, reported that ‗'The last
remaining group of 700 former LTTE cadres will be released by mid-2012 after
providing them the mandatory 12 months training…‘ On 24 January 2012, the official
website of the government of Sri Lanka 94 announced that ‗According to the Department
of Rehabilitation, more than 10, 000 ex-LTTE cadres out of 11, 984 have been
rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society so far. Furthermore, measures have been
91
Official website of the Government of Sri Lanka, Another batch of 1,800 ex-LTTE cadres reintegrated,
2 October 2011
http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201110/20111002another_batch_of_1800_ex_ltt
e_cadres_reintegrated.htm date accessed 23 January 2012
92
Official website of the Government of Sri Lanka, The light of a new freedom, More ex-LTTE cadres
reintegrated, 25 October 2011
http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201110/20111025more_ex_ltte_cadres_reintegrat
ed.htm date accessed 23 January 2012
93
Official website of the Government of Sri Lanka, Remaining Ex-LTTE cadres to be reintegrated by mid
2012, 11 December 2011
http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201112/20111211remaining_ex_ltte_cadres_to_b
e_reintegrated.htm date accessed 23 January 2012
94
Official website of the Government of Sri Lanka, Ex-cadres reintegration accelerated, 24 January 2012
http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201201/20120124ex_cadres_reintegration_accele
rated.htm date accessed 5 February 2012
52 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 3 February 2012.
Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section
to 2 March 2012.