Special Presidential Task Force on reconciliation

The Cabinet yesterday approved the setting up of a Special Presidential Task Force on Reconciliation as per a cabinet paper presented by President Maithripala Sirisena, Cabinet Spokesman and Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said. Addressing the Cabinet press briefing at the auditorium of the Government Information Department yesterday, the Minister said the President has decided to appoint a special Task Force to cater to the need to build a united and integrated nation, while healing the wounds of mistrust and social and cultural stress generated from extended conflicts and violence between different communities in Sri Lanka. The Minister said the Task Force comprised of seven members would identify the immediate problems that required to be solved and recommend solutions in order to achieve reconciliation, would make recommendations to alleviate the hardships caused to citizens as a result of the conflict, would study and make recommendations with regard to persons under detention as a result of the conflict, and would study and make recommendations regarding all other matters relating to rebuilding harmony and effective reconciliation. The Minister said according to a report submitted by the IGP on the suspects who have been detained at the moment, there are 275 detainees and all of them are Tamils. He said these detainees could be categorized into five groups, adding that many of them have been detained for minor offenses.