Human problems abounding sans death certificates to end soon

By K. T. Rajasingham

The family members and next-of-kin of those civilians and others died during the three-decade ethnic conflict are to receive death certificates soon, once the circumstances of the deaths are established.

The death of thousands of civilians have not been brought under any Coroner’s or Judicial Magistrate’s investigations to establish the circumstances of those deaths and the relevant authorities to issue death certificates, leading to several human problems.

As no death certificates were issued family members and next-of-kin are unable to inherit properties and the other assets in the names of those had passed away.

Also the family members of those died are unable to apply for pensions and other benefits, including insurance claims. Another major case of human suffering is, the spouses are unable to marry legally. For want of death certificate, many remarriages are pending here in Sri Lanka and among the Diaspora.

These human issues have been pointed out to D.E.W Gunasekera, Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms.

Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera said that his Ministry will take steps through Rehabilitation of Persons, Properties and Industries Authority to issue death certificates of those civilians who died during the ethnic conflict.

The Minister accepted that this is a human problem and during the height of the conflict, several hundreds died and now in case the families of those who died during that period have to come up with the facts and circumstances under which those persons died to consider for the issuance of the death certificates.

Under a rehabilitation program, Minister said, death of civilians causes and circumstances would be scrutinised, a minimum period of ‘not heard or sighted’ fixed and issuing legally binding death certificates would be considered.

The three-decade ethnic conflict caused the deaths of thousands, but to date their death certificates were not issued as the circumstances and the cause of deaths were not established.

He further said that Rehabilitations of Persons, Properties and Industries Authorities would formulate policies, plans and programs in respect of adopting the correct procedures for the issuance of the death certificates.

Courtesy: Asian Tribune