UN mission to assess progress on enforced disappearances

by Manjula Fernando

A team of officials from the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary disappearances who will be in Sri Lanka this week will submit a report to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2016 outlining measures to address outstanding issues in Sri Lanka. The five-member team headed by Vice President of the Working Group Bernard Duhaime, will be here for 10 days from November 9 to 18.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said this is the fourth time representatives from the Working Group are visiting Sri Lanka on the invitation of the government. They had previously visited Sri Lanka in 1991, 1992 and 1999.

"Their work will not be a criminal investigative," Colonne said, adding that the team in consultation with the government will monitor and assist the state to implement the provisions in the declaration for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearances .

"They will also discuss the measures the government will take to prevent future incidents of enforced disappearances and assist relatives of victims," She said.

The team will meet government officials from the Ministries of Law and Order, Justice, Resettlement, Health including the Judicial medical officers and the Attoerney General's Department officials. The team will also meet the MPs, local government authorities, Governors of Northern, Eastern and Southern provinces as well as the Chief Ministers of the North and the East.

The Working group has referred 2,341 cases of enforced disappearances to the government since 1980s. Of them 6,590 cases have been ''clarified'' to the Group by the government. The Spokesperson said over 4,000 cases referred, date back as far as early 1990s.

During the mission, the UN experts will study the measures adopted by the state to prevent and eradicate enforced disappearances, including issues related to truth, justice and reparation for the victims of enforced disappearances.

The working Group will start and end the visit in Colombo and will travel to Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, Matale, Trincomalee, Ampara and Galle.