OMP concludes probe into 3,170 complaints on enforced disappearances

Saturday, 3 June 2023 01:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Justice Minister says initial productivity of OMP was unsatisfactory and has greatly improved now
Says OMP has received 21,374 complaints to date out of which 6,386 complaints are regarding military and police personnel MIA
Reveals reconciliation committees will be set up in villages across the country to foster peace and communal harmony

Providing an update on the activities of the Office of Missing Persons, Minister of Justice Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday revealed that the OMP has concluded its inquiries into 3,170 complaints received.

Wijeyadasa said the OMP’s initial productivity was unsatisfactory, and steps have been taken to improve and streamline the process.

“The OMP investigated 184 complaints in 2020, 95 in 2021, 2110 in 2022 and 781 complaints in 2023,” The Minister said. According to the Minister, since its inception in 2016, the OMP has received a total of 21,374 complaints to date.

The Minister said 6,386 complaints were regarding military and police personnel missing in action while 14,988 complaints were regarding other enforced disappearances.

“The OMP based on their inquiries have been issuing certificates to the families of the missing. The Office of Reparations was also set up while the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation was also established to foster reconciliation,” he said. The Minister also provided information about the mobile units of the OMP set up in the North and East to support the families of the missing.

Rajapakshe said reconciliation committees will be set up in villages across the country to protect the peace in rural communities. “They will foster reconciliation and harmony among the communities while keeping peace in the villages,” he said. The Minister noted the activities of these committees will be supervised through a district-level program.