The government struggling to find employment for ex-LTTE combatants has been relieved by Desamanya Kumar Devapura, Chairman of Tri-Star Apparel Exporters (Pvt) Limited who has expressed readiness to recruit upto 1,500 currently held in military custody.

Devapura will shortly establish a training facility at Vavuniya to accommodate one-time combatants.

Although the war ended in last May on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon with the capture of about 12,000 LTTE cadres, there had not been a large scale initiative to find employment for them before Devapura stepped in.

Former Justice and Law Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda spearheaded a government strategy which paved the way for the business community as well as the international community to help in rehabilitated LTTE cadres. He went to the extent of involving the All Ceylon Hindu Congress in the process, thereby giving the Tamil community confidence in the government.

Addressing the media at the Nippon Hotel yesterday, Devapura said that the first batch would join the company tomorrow (May 31) as trainees at his main factory at Thelawela Road, Ratmalana.

He said that altogether 1,500 would receive employment at his production facilities, including two new factories which would be set up in Jaffna and Kilinochchi, once the hub of LTTE operations.

A smiling entrepreneur said that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had asked him whether he could accommodate some ex-LTTE combatants when Rajapaksa visited Polpithigama recently to open a Tri-Star production facility. Of the 600 workers employed at Polpithigama, 250 were close relatives of security forces personnel.

Devapura emphasized the pivotal importance of finding ex-LTTE cadres employment as quickly as possible as part of the overall strategy to help them integrate with the society.

Responding to a query by The Sunday Island whether he was taking an unnecessary risk by opening up factories and recruiting workers due to expected drop in trade caused by withdrawal of GSP plus concessions, Devapura asserted that the Sri Lankan garment industry could face that threat.

He said that as several major buyers remained committed to Sri Lanka, including Marks and Spencer and Asda, people should not be unnecessarily worried about the GSP plus issue.

When told that it was the government which discussed the issue regularly, he said that the production facilities were booked for the next two or three years. He had received an order for 15 million pieces from Asda and was confident of more major orders.

He said political uncertainly and shortage of power, as in the case of one major competitor, would help Sri Lanka to secure more orders.

Devapura was confident that foreign buyers would remain loyal to Sri Lanka saying it was up to the business community to take advantage of the political stability achieved due to eradication of LTTE terrorism. At the height of the war they had to struggle to ensure continuity, though the country had achieved unprecedented stability.

He said that a factory he set up at Thambalagamuwa, Trincomalee, had accommodated about 400 Tamil and Muslim workers each and about 200 Sinhalese, thereby giving 1,000 families an opportunity to improve their living standards.

Devapura owns 15 production facilities, where about 10,000 are employed.

Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, Brig. Sudantha Ranasinghe, explained measures taken by the government to rehabilitate ex-LTTE cadres and help them resume normal life. He said that providing them with employment would be a major challenge and the government was grateful to Devapura for supporting their effort.

Speaking to The Sunday Island after the press conference, Devapura said that the international community should take a fresh look at Sri Lanka now that the LTTE had been eradicated. He emphasized that his factories in Jaffna and Kilinochchi would be exclusively for ex-LTTE combatants and hoped the business community, which was one of the major beneficiaries of the eradication of the LTTE, would respond in a like manner.

He said that the international community should not turn a blind eye to Sri Lanka’s efforts to provide a new life for ex-LTTE men and women and overall improvement in the situation here.

Devapura is one of the major beneficiaries of a range of government concessions offered to the garment sector, particularly during President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s tenure.