Cabinet approves laws to set up Truth Commission

The Cabinet is reported to have approved the draft legislation to set up the National Truth Commission as an initiative to ensure the transitional justice envisaged in resolution 30/1 on Sri Lanka adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The UNHRC resolution co-sponsored by Sri Lanka says, “The commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen and safeguard the credibility of the processes of truth-seeking, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence by engaging in broad national consultations with the inclusion of victims and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, from all affected communities, which will inform the design and implementation of these processes, drawing on international expertise, assistance and best practices”.

Meanwhile, the government had set up the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) under a parliamentary Act to check the fate of those who went missing during the armed conflict and also enacted legislation recently to set up the Office for Reparation as part of the same process of ensuring transitional justice.

The government will now be left with the task of setting up a judicial mechanism as a part of this process.

The UNHRC has given time till March 2019 to implement the provisions in resolution 30/1. Sri Lanka’s case will be reviewed during the UNHRC sessions in March next year. (Kelum Bandara)