Sri Lanka Considering General Reprieve to Tamil Rebels

In the last leg of army offensive with Tamil rebels nearly trounced, Sri Lankan government is considering a broad-spectrum amnesty to the LTTE cadres, those who are surrendering as well as those who are in detention.

Mahinda Samarasinghe, minister for human rights, said that regulations are being worked out in consultation with the Attorney General and they would cover anyone who agrees to lay down weapons and surrender before the security forces.

However, Minister said that those who have already been charged or convicted in courts will not receive the reprieve and legal process will be applied in their cases.

The minister said that an undisclosed number of LTTE cadres had come along with the displaced people to the camps in Wanni. Some have confessed that they are members of the LTTE, while others are being investigated for their links with the group, he added.

Samarasinghe said that he was not aware of the exact number of the LTTE cadres among the displaced people but some estimates put it at 3000.

The Tamil rebels, the minister was quoted as saying, members would be rehabilitated and later allowed to re-integrate with others once the investigators get convinced that they have eschewed separatism.