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Visiting UN delegation calls on Sri Lanka to amend laws to probe missing

Xinhua, November 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

A visiting UN agency on Wednesday called for amendments to Sri Lanka's criminal laws in order to effectively investigate thousands of cases of missing people related to a 30-year conflict in the island nation.

A delegation of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, speaking to reporters in the capital following a visit to the country said that they had recorded statements related to hundreds of people said to have gone missing during the war between the Tamil Tiger Rebels and the Sri Lanka Military.

The Working Group is already examining 5000 such cases and in addition it received reports of more missing people during its visit to Sri Lanka, their fourth visit and first following the end of the war in 2009.

"The number of cases (in Sri Lanka) before the Working Group is the second highest in the database of the Working Group worldwide," the Group's Vice Chair, Bernard Duhaime said.

"While nowadays enforced disappearances are no longer being carried out on a massive and systematic scale, cases of enforced disappearances were reported in Sri Lanka until recent years," he said.

The Working Group further said that during their current visit they were encouraged by the efforts take by the Sri Lankan government to investigate allegations of enforced disappearances but called for more robust moves which will end impunity in relation to such cases.

"Finally there is a positive environment to seriously address these issues," the experts said. "These promises and commitments must now be followed by concrete efforts and tangible results. This is the only way to regain the trust of victims for past failures to address their rights."

The experts also urged the authorities to give clear instructions at all level of the military, security and law enforcement forces that all types of threats, harassment and intimidation towards families searching for their loved ones must immediately cease, will not be tolerated and will be severely sanctioned.

During the 10-day visit to the island nation, the Working Group's delegation visited the east, north and south of Sri Lanka to speak to authorities and families of the thousands missing. The delegation also met with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Endit