Friday, 20 December 2013 00:01
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An independent investigations committee will be appointed soon headed by a retired High Court Judge to probe complaints regarding missing persons and communicate its findings to the Presidential Commission to Investigate Complaints Regarding Missing Persons, Commission Chairman Parakrama Paranagama said.
Nearly 11,000 persons, both civilians and Armed Forces personnel, were reported missing during the 30-year war. “In our mandate, we have been vested with powers to accept complaints from the north and east.
There are 5,098 Security Forces personnel reported as disappeared during the 30-year war according to the convenor of the Dead and Missing Persons’ Parents Association although complaints received by the Commission is below this figure.
I as the Commission Chairman request the parents and relatives of the Security Forces personnel missing in action, to lodge their complaints at the earliest so that we could commence investigations,” Paranagama said. There are also 6,014 civilians, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, reported missing in the north and east, he said.
The Dead and Missing Persons Parents’ Association Convenor Ananda Jayamanna said 5,098 Security Forces personnel were reported missing during the 30-year conflict.
“We are today lodging 250 complaints of cases which the parents or the next of kin had no idea as to what happened or the circumstances in which their loved ones went missing.
These complaints are being submitted with the hope that the Commission would be able to provide an answer to the complainants.”
Commissioners Mano Ramanathan and Suranjana Vidyaratna were also present.
