Tamil Civil Organisations Accuse Government Of Rushing Through In Setting Up Office For Missing Persons

May 20, 2016

Tamil Civil Society organisations and activists have accused the government on the lack of ‘genuine willingness’ to consult the victims in the setting up of mechanisms for transitional justice, while also trying to rush through the consultation process in setting up the ‘Office for Missing Persons.’

Mangala Samaraweera

In a letter addressed to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera, on 19th May 2016, 12 organisations and 26 individuals said that the mandate and terms of reference of the Task Force in setting up ‘Office for Missing Persons’ (OMP) are extremely vague and the process to date has been handicapped by in adequate resources and has made very little progress. “In the midst of this, the Foreign Ministry, it appears, is seeking to rush through a tokenistic consultation process on the OMP. The undermining of the Task Force by the Foreign Ministry makes clear the disdainful and instrumental use of the Task Force on Consultation,” the letter stated.

According to the letter, the consultation with regard to all Transitional Justice Mechanisms including the OMP were entrusted with the Task Force on Consultations functioning under the SCRM. “However in the design of the OMP the perception exists that the Foreign Ministry has taken over the consultation process.”

They also noted that despite repeated requests, the Government has refused to engage with victims who are abroad in the consultation exercise. (As to how the OMP will engage with these victims is also not clear). “The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in its Rule of Law Tools on Consultations raises the need to consult with all victims even those abroad. We are unfortunately forced to conclude that there is no genuine willingness to consult the victims on the part of the Government in the setting up of mechanisms for Transitional Justice,” the letter said.

They went on to add that it would be ‘unacceptable’ if the OMP is designed without proper consultation with the victims and their communities.

We publish below the letter in full:

19 May 2016

Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, M.P,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Colombo 01.

Honourable Minister,

Comments on the draft proposal to establish an OMP

We the undersigned organisations and individuals from the North-East of Sri Lanka submit as follows our view on the draft outline of the proposals put forward by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the setting up of an ‘Office for Missing Persons’ (OMP). These proposals were put forward in a briefing held with selected civil society activists on the 9th of May at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a leaflet that was circulated by the Ministry on the 13th of May on the same.

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