The Association for the Families of the Disappeared issued a reminder to Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake, urging him to take concrete actions rather than making election-time promises this week.
In a media briefing held in Vavuniya, the group emphasized the urgency of releasing Tamil political prisoners and returning Tamil-owned lands, demands which say cannot wait for electoral cycles.
The spokesperson for the association stressed that the families of disappeared Tamils, particularly mothers who have been searching for their loved ones for decades, are calling on Dissanayake to prioritize their plight and act without delay. "This is not just a plea for justice, but a direct appeal to release all Tamil political prisoners now, instead of waiting until election time."
The members of the association called on the president to acknowledge the history of Tamil suffering under successive Sinhala-dominated governments and urged him to endorse the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution addressing these injustices. They also demanded the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which they argue has been used to oppress Tamil communities.
Under Dissanayake, the Sri Lankan government has rejected the UN resolution and refused to repeal the PTA, as did successive presidents before him.
The association pointed out the long history of unfulfilled promises by Sinhala leaders—including Dudley Senanayake, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Maithripala Sirisena—who vowed to address Tamil grievances during election campaigns, only to backtrack once in office.
"This is Anura’s chance to set himself apart by honouring his commitments before the elections. He can prove his intentions by fulfilling the promises made in Vavuniya and Jaffna now," the group said, expressing both hope and scepticism about the Sri Lankan president’s commitment to Tamil rights and justice.
Dissanayake speaking at rallies in Vavuniya and Jaffna said that he would return lands that were originally owned by Tamils and under occupation by the Sri Lankan government along with the release of Tamil political prisoners.
