A member of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances called for the abolition of Sri Lanka’s presidential commission into disappearances.
Speaking to Ceylon Today Ariel Dulitzky the UN was clear that the commission must be scrapped and have relayed their recommendations to the government of Sri Lanka.
“Our report urged the government to scrap the Presidential Commission and recommended transferring all cases handled by it on Missing Persons to a credible and independent institution, developed in close consultation with families of the disappeared,” said Mr Dulitzy.
However “so far the government has shown no sign of heeding our recommendation,” he stated, adding that “we hope it will be acted upon as soon as possible”.
The commission recently held a sitting in Jaffna earlier this month, with over 1,620 complaints lodged.
Last month a Tamil family whose whereabouts were unknown after surrendering to the Sri Lankan military in May 2009, were dropped off by unknown persons in Jaffna, after more than six years in custody.
See our earlier posts:
Relatives of disappeared testify before commission in Jaffna (12 Dec 2015)
Tamil family that ‘disappeared’ released after 6 years in Sri Lankan custody (20 Nov 2015)
Sri Lanka to scrap presidential commission on missing persons (11 Oct 2015)
Sri Lanka's domestic commission to hold new sittings in Trinco (19 Feb 2015)
Sri Lanka's domestic 'missing persons' commission delays conclusion (08 Feb 2015)
Our children were killed by the Army - Tamil mothers testify (15 Dec 2014)
Presidential Commission chair dismisses CPA criticism (05 October 2014)
Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Disappearances lacks credibility - CPA (02 Oct 2014)
'Deceptive' Presidential Commission on Missing Persons an attempt to mislead people – TNA (17 August 2014)
Chair of govt commission accuses NGOs of inflating disappearance numbers (12 August 2014)
Bishop of Mannar refuses to participate in Sri Lanka's domestic inquiry on missing persons(10 August 2014)
Cross-party concern over 'betrayal' of Sri Lankan soldiers in Presidential Inquiry (28 July 2014)
TNA remains sceptical over government commission (27 July 2014)
CPA criticises expansion of presidential commission mandate (25 July 2014)
UNP expresses ‘serious concern’ over government u-turn on presidential commission (22 July 2014)
Over 18,000 cases submitted for disappearances commission (06 June 2014)
Desperate search for disappeared continues (16 February 2014)
‘Government commission is a fake’ NPC Deputy Chairman tells Japan (12 Feb 2014)
Disappearance investigation commission a farce - Ananthy Sasitharan (02 January 2014)
TNA rejects presidential commission to probe disappearances (29 July 2013)
Rajapaksa appoints disappearance commission (14 August 2013)
Another commission... (26 July 2013)
