Sri Lanka today set up a special bureau for reconciliation with the Tamil minority saying it has implemented most of the recommendations of its own panel to achieve the goal.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa today announced the setting up of a Special Bureau of Reconciliation that would oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), the local mechanism aimed at achieving peace with the island's Tamil minority.

The LLRC was appointed by Rajapaksa in 2010 to address issues of reconciliation following international pressure. He came under international criticism for going slow on reconciliation following his military victory over the LTTE in 2009.

Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga heads the committee supervising the LLRC's recommendations.

Out of the 144 recommendations being implemented, 45 are deemed to be completed, 89 are ongoing and 10 are in early stages of implementation, Rajapaksa's office said.

LLRC recommendations are assigned to 26 government institutions.

The Special Bureau for Reconciliation has been tasked with the purpose of facilitating the monitoring of implementation of the LLRC's recommendations.
(The New Indian Express)