A spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Army has told media that reconciliation cannot take place overnight, in response to a question by a journalist regarding US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal’s statement earlier this week.
“Reconciliation is a political matter. We have created an environment for reconciliation to take place. Reconciliation cannot take place overnight. Of around 12,000 terrorists who were in rehabilitation only about 60 remain. Most of the rehabilitated persons have been reintegrated to society. We are pleased to say that during operations conducted over the recent past, we only arrested three of the 12,000 who had fallen back into their past ways. That clearly indicates that the rehabilitation process is a success,” Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said at a press conference.
At a talk at Harvard University earlier this week, Biswal said that the US will only resume a “comprehensive military relationship” with Sri Lanka, if progress is made on accountability and reconciliation.
Resumption of ‘comprehensive military relationship’ with SL hinges on accountability progress – US (17 April 2014)