An Army soldier seems to be extending a hand of friendship to rehabilitated ex-Tiger members at the Fort Railway Station yesterday during their five-day visit to the South. Pic by Pradeep Pathirana
By Olindhi Jayasundere
Some 500 rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres who are on a five-day trip visited the Fort Railway Station yesterday while on their way to the south, as part of the final phase of their rehabilitation programme at the Vavuniya rehabilitation camp.
They began their trip from the Omanthai railway station and after their visit to Colombo would proceed to Kalutara and Kataragama. The ex LTTEers will travel by bus to Matara and Galle and later travel to Embilipitiya before they return to Vavuniya.
One of those who had been with the LTTE for ten years told Daily Mirror they were happy to visit the southern parts of the country. “Most of those in the rehabilitation camp have not been to other parts of the country or even stepped on a train. Many of them have not spoken to a Sinhalese apart from Army officials in the camp,” ex LTTE cadre Adhrani Newton said.
He said he followed a counselling course at the rehabilitation camp after which he was selected to study for a diploma, which he will complete in about months and added that he also took part in a 12-day rehabilitation programme in Colombo. “After I finish the rehabilitation programme I will start working. My ambition is to become a counselor,” he said. “We want to thank the authorities for organising this trip. We did not think we will have the opportunity to visit the south,” Selvarasa Selvadeevan another former LTTEer told those who had gathered around him.
Army Chief of Staff Daya Ratnayake said the rehabilitated cadres were brought to the south as the final stage of the rehabilitation programme and added that such programmes would be carried out in the future as well. “We have been planning this reintegration process for a long time. It has been a challenge but it has finally come together after two years of rehabilitation. This is what we have been working for all along,” Major General Ratnayake said.
Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera said initially the rehabilitation camp had 11,000 ex-LTTE cadres and now there are only 2,700 who would also be reintegrated into society.
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