Ray of hope for families of missing

Repeated calls by families of the disappeared to the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation have been rewarded after a Cabinet decision was delivered on 11 September based upon a memorandum by the Ministry of Home Affairs making provision for the issuance of a Certificate of Absence to the families of persons reported missing.

Families of missing persons who are not convinced of the death of their relatives are eligible to receive the Certificate of Absence. This will give them access to various entitlements granted by the State.

The Office for National Unity and Reconciliation, chaired by former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, was established in April 2015. The mandate of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation is to promote and provide for a society that respects fundamental rights, equality and diversity to achieve lasting reconciliation in the country.