Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission

Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission also known as LLRC is a Commission to look into events between between Feb 2002 to May 2009 by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse after rejecting International calls for International probe into the killing of thousands of Tamils in the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War and refusing to allow United Nations panel of experts entry into Sri Lanka

Scope

Human rights groups feel it has a limited mandate and as it has been appointed by the Sri Lankan Government hence it will not be independent enough and it has been has been constituted to look into why the ceasefire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government broke down in 2002 and the commission is under government interference.Further all earlier probes and commissions have come to nought with nobody really being held accountable. It is also seen as a tool to discredit the opposition UNP as Ranil Wickramasinghe signed the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE in 2002 and Ranil Wickramasinghe has not yet been invited to give eveidence before LLRC.International media including the BBC have been banned from covering the proceeding. Only few Tamils were allowed to testify before the commission and several others including those whose relatives were missing after being seen surrendering to Sri Lankan Army in Vanni were not allowed to testify have called LLRC a hoax to deceive International opinion.Tamil National Alliance however is expected to testify through it says it does not expect a positive result. Human Rights has said that commission has no mandate to undertake any serious war crimes and seen as ploy to deflect International calls for a probe rather than truly ensure accountability and further cited to total lack of witness protection making it difficult for victims to testify without fear of reprisals.