Families of the Disappeared call on homeland to mark day of the disappeared

by admin
Aug 20, 2024

The North-East Families of the Disappeared has appealed to people in the homeland to gather together to mark August 30th, which is the International Day of the Disappeared, to call for an international investigation into the war crimes committed by Sri Lanka 

The association held a press conference at the Jaffna Press Club to reiterate the need for an investigation, which the Sri Lankan government is yet to deliver. 

“We are reiterating that justice should be delivered to the perpetrators of genocide through an international investigation. We remind the Sri Lankan government that our struggle for liberation and justice and our search for our children will never be suppressed by the Sri Lankan government and that our struggle will continue until justice is achieved.” 

The association disappearance is used as a cruel weapon to cause psychological suffering, that too a race that has been already decimated during the armed conflict. “For us Eelam being missing is not a new phenomenon and goes beyond the Mullivaikkal.” 

According to the UN report in 1996, 11,513 people were reported as disappeared. According to the report of the Asian Human Rights Commission in 1996, there were 16,742 missing persons. However, Sri Lankan human rights activists believe this number might be double. 

“Tamils not only disappeared during the armed conflict, but countless were kidnapped and went missing during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s time,” they said. “The Sri Lankan government has systematically suppressed the Tamil youth, made them fear the armed struggle only to disappear.” 

The families said the Sri Lankan government has been giving vague answers saying that those who surrendered are dead and they should not be looked for anymore. Over the last few weeks, family members of the disappeared have been holding protests across the North-East. They continue to demand the Sri Lankan government fulfill its obligations for an impartial investigation of war crimes. 

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