Sri Lanka’s Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has released its interim report today.
In its interim relief proposals, the OMP called on the Sri Lankan government to “expedite and give highest priority to prosecutions and other ongoing cases involving enforced disappearances”.
The government should “ensure that state officials including members of the armed forces and police who are named as suspects or accused in criminal actions relating to abductions and enforced disappearances are suspended pending the final determination of such cases,” it added.
Further proposals called on the government to “publish a full list of all detention centres as well as detainees and ensure that persons are not detained in any unauthorised detention centres” and “repeal and reform provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act”.
The report acknowledged that there are “multiple forms of harassment experienced by families of the missing and the disappeared", citing recent attacks that have taken place.
It also noted that there was “deep scepticism and distrust of the OMP” amongst families of the disappeared.
Read the full text of the report here.
Tamil families of the disappeared have repeatedly expressed their concerns regarding the OMP, noting that their requests “have not been taken on board”.
“Given that our concerns have not been addressed and given that the president has failed to deliver his promises in relation to releasing the lists we are left with no option but to conclude that the OMP will be an exercise in futility,” said a letter from the families earlier this month. “The OMP’s composition is riddled with contradictions… Be that as it may, for us to trust the OMP despite all of this we need to see action, not words, not more offices.”
