OMP meets families of missing in Mullaitivu

The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) met with the families of the disappeared and civil society in the war-affected district of Mullaitivu on Saturday.

Commissioners of the OMP held their third session of consultations with families of the disappeared in two sessions.

Families from the Puthukuduyirripu and Maritime Pattu areas met with commissioners in the morning from 9.00 a.m.-11.00 p.m. and families from Thunukkai, Manthai East, Weli Oya and Oddusudan from 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. The OMP met with the civil society organisations in the afternoon.

However, the Commissioners’ arrival in the area where the final battle between the LTTE and Government forces took place in 2009 was met with protests by some families of the disappeared.

The protesting families, who were holding roadside demonstrations for over a year demanding to know the whereabouts of their loved ones, boycotted the OMP consultations.

The demonstrators, who were from both Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi, said they do not have the confidence in the OMP and they do not want to get duped by these mechanisms.

However, the OMP met the protesting families who were boycotting the event and engaged with them for one hour, OMP Chairman Saliya Peiris said.

Several families have raised concerns with the OMP about the list of surrendees at the end of the war, which the Government earlier promised to obtain from the security establishment.

“I clearly told families of the disappeared that the issue of surrendees disappearing is high on the OMP list of priorities and that requesting the authorities for lists will be done. I also said that the OMP cannot give false promises or assurances or promise quick fixes,” the OMP Chairman said in a Twitter post. All seven Commissioners of the Office on Missing Persons participated in the consultations in Mullaitivu. (Colombo Page)