The Tamil Information Centre (TIC) welcomes the Sri Lankan government announcement that information on people detained by the security forces since the end of the war in May 2009 will be made available. The TIC views this as a positive measure towards reconciliation and the first step to accountability in Sri Lanka. According to the Ministry of Defence, information will be provided only to close relatives of the detainees. The Defence Ministry communiqué declared that "A round the clock mechanism has been established by the Terrorist Investigation Division to provide details of the detainees and those who are already released".