The Sri Lankan military says it plans to create a special army unit for former Tamil rebels. The unit will be comprised of members of the TMVP, a former paramilitary group that has transformed itself into a political party.

The TMVP is the only Tamil group that has agreed to co-operate with Colombo. The move means that Tamil fighters from the LTTE, the largest Tamil rebel group, will not be able to join the new unit.

Dr Jehan Perera of Sri Lanka's National Peace Council told Radio Netherlands that the Tamil unit is the first step in the reconciliation process. However, he also pointed out that the move is controversial as the TMVP has been accused of recruiting child soldiers.