Sri Lanka’s parliament did not take up the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Bill this week, despite it having been scheduled for debate on Wednesday.
Leader of the House Minister Lakshman Kiriella and Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala said the bill would not be debated as scheduled.
No reason was given for the decision and a future date to debate the bill was not announced.
The bill has been fiercely opposed by members of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist clergy.
The move comes despite Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena promising Tamil families of the disappeared that action would be taken to help locate their missing relatives. Protests, mainly led by mothers of the disappeared, having been taking place for several months now at locations across the North-East.
