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Missing persons’ relatives write to United Nations Rights Chief

31 Aug 2021

BY Pamodi Waravita The Association of the Relatives of the Disappeared – Northern and Eastern Provinces has written to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR), Michelle Bachelet, stating they lack faith in the current Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and has requested her to ensure that an appropriate judicial mechanism is formulated to investigate the plight of missing persons in the country.  “Only a woman can understand the plight of another woman. Help us to find a solution within your tenure at least, as more than a hundred of those who were with us in this struggle have passed away already,” the letter addressed to Bachelet by the Association, stated.  30 August marked the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, where the Resident Coordinator for the UN in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said that although the establishment of the OMP in 2016 was an important step by the Government of Sri Lanka, building and maintaining the trust of the victims and their relatives is essential for its success.  However, in its letter to Bachelet, the Association claimed that the OMP has proven its inability already as it has failed to find a solution for five cases, for which they had presented evidence to the OMP two years ago.  “Hence, the international community and the UN should accept the fact that the OMP is incapable, and should therefore advise the Sri Lankan Government to abolish the OMP immediately. The UN should accept that a judicial mechanism with an international inquiry is the only appropriate solution for our issue.”  The Association has further claimed that a branch office of the OMP was opened in Kilinochchi recently, under secrecy, and alleged that this was merely done to appease the UN Human Rights Council (HRC).  The UNHRC is due to hear the oral update by the Office of the UNHCR and Bachelet on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka at its upcoming session, which will begin on 13 September.  Attempts to contact the OMP offices about these allegations proved futile.  According to the Amnesty International organisation, although Sri Lanka has one of the world’s highest numbers of enforced disappearances, with a backlog of between 60,000 and 100,000 disappearances since 1980, the authorities have failed to both protect and provide justice to the families of the disappeared.  Furthermore, criticisms have been levelled, by many parties, at the current Government for appointing former Police Chief Jayantha Wickramaratne as a Member of the OMP.   


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