COLOMBO, Oct 8: A United Nations panel has expressed serious concern over Sri Lanka’s lack of progress in addressing cases of enforced disappearances, including the performance of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), which has traced only a fraction of the nearly 17,000 cases it has received.
In a report issued on Tuesday, the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (UNCED) noted the “high level of impunity reflected in the lack of progress in the investigation and prosecution of alleged enforced disappearances”.
The UNCED report comes a day after the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Monday adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Sri Lanka for two more years.
The report also pointed out that of the 16,966 cases received by the OMP, only 23 had been traced so far, raising questions about the effectiveness of the institution established to address long-standing demands for truth and justice by families of the disappeared.
The Committee urged the OMP to consolidate a comprehensive and updated register of all cases of disappearances, actively search for missing persons, and ensure accountability by investigating and prosecuting those responsible.
It also expressed concern over the accidental discovery of at least 17 mass graves across the island nation.
The panel criticised the limited forensic capacity of Sri Lankan authorities and the absence of centralised ante-mortem and post-mortem databases, including a national genetic database.
It urged the Sri Lankan government to strengthen the capacity of relevant national institutions to locate and identify mass graves, conduct exhumations, and develop a comprehensive strategy for the search, identification, excavation, and investigation of such burial sites.
Thousands of people, mostly Tamils, were reported missing during and after Sri Lanka’s nearly three-decade-long civil war, which ended in 2009.
Successive governments have faced repeated calls from international human rights organisations and the families of victims to ensure truth, justice, and reparations.
The OMP was established in 2017 as a response to these demands. However, rights groups have criticised the lack of political will and resources allocated to the institution, leading to delays and a lack of tangible outcomes.
In recent years, the UNHRC has repeatedly flagged concerns about Sri Lanka’s progress on transitional justice mechanisms, including enforced disappearances, prosecutions, and institutional reforms. (PTI)
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