Unfortunately, I do concur with the author’s premise that the recommendations of LLRC are unlikely to bring about any positive results. As a Tamil who wishes for a united Sri Lanka, I find the shortsighted, hoodwinking of the GOSL in setting up this commission under false pretences, deeply troubling. The war affected Tamils and for that matter, the Sinhalese and the Muslims, deserve to be at least heard. If commissions such as LLRC, have as in the past, proved to be ineffective, then a true reconciliation body, comprising of respected religious leaders and other public-minded eminent persons needs to be welcomed. A body such as this should be beyond the constraints of a legal mandate and should be primarily focused as a body,to hear and document the grievances of people.

The Saville Inquiry into the Bloody Sunday Massacre in Londonderry, is a case in point of the determination people have to seek justice. It may just be that only a future GOSL, free from the pressures of recent traumas, is one that is capable of facing up to these issues. It is however, worth holding and documenting the submissions in public fora for a future process of true reconciliation.

I sincerely hope that Mr MCM Iqbal accepts my apology and I hope also that he understands that my comments were made, in disappointment at the lack of legal avenues that are available for the Tamils to seek justice for their grievances. Sadly, I feel that the anguished voices of the dispossessed and the disadvantaged have no resonance within our society.

On the contrary the intention of the article was to save those who have already complained or are yet to complain to the LLRC on disappearances of persons, from entertaining false hopes that it would be able to find their dear ones who had been abducted or had gone missing. They need to be informed that inquiring into complaints of disappearances and finding those who disappeared and providing relief to them, are not matters that come within the Mandate of the LLRC , especially if such incidents had occurred after 19th May, 2010.

These unfortunate complainants who are still to resume their normal lives, would be further estranged when they eventually find out that their complaints had not brought the expected results.

Highlighting the need to avert such a situation is the intention of the article. In the circumstances it is absurd for anyone who reads this article to think it is deliberately provocative and utterly objectionable.

Commissions are appointed with a Mandate to ensure that they confine their inquiries and investigations to the terms in the Mandate. It is no secret that the recommendations made by earlier Commissions of Inquiry into Disappearances of Persons or on other matters have hardly had any positive results. In the circumstances, for anyone to think that any recommendations on matters not within the mandate of the LLRC, would bring positive results, is far fetched.

Judging from the demand in the North for submissions to LLRC, it may be that it’s remit should be extended to include, for example all disappearances in the N&E. Government should be mindful that in the highly unlikely event that any of these people will see justice, it is at least important for the people to air their heart wrenching losses and injustices in public and with impunity. It is at least important for the people to “let off steam”!

The Tamils, even those who might have objected to some of the violent methods of the LTTE, supported the LTTE absolutely. The premise of opting for the armed struggle route meant that the Tamils had exhausted all other possible avenues – a premise, even with a historical perspective is thoroughly questionable. The Tamils in gambling their lot with the LTTE, lost and lost badly. Sadly as Losers, Tamils are in no position to expect that justice will be delivered. Let’s face it, the vast majority of the Sinhalese and Muslims are indifferent to the plight of the Tamils. Under any circumstances will these other ethnic groups will come to the aid of the Tamils and it is naive to expect otherwise.

Tamils at present are a broken people, both in spirit and body, but we are resilient. This resilience, with a sense of pragmatism from within Sri Lanka and the diaspora will slowly pull us away from the quagmire we presently are in. What is the humane legacy of the victors to the losers? How will the history view the spirit of the victors in their approach to the losers? I have no doubt that we are at the outset of the best years for Sri Lanka, but it needs to be built on values, we hold dear. I do not recognise us (all Sri Lankans) as unfeeling people – for god’s sake, we are not westerners. So let us at least acknowledge the pain of our fellow countrymen, it will lead to some form of reconciliation we can live with. Let us allow the Tamils at the LLRC hearings to cry, shout, scream and throw a few chairs if they want to and not think of that as preposterous – that I recognise in us as Sri Lankans.