Relatives of the disappeared boycott Sri Lanka President during his Vanni visit
Tamil relatives of the forcibly disappeared have categorically rejected having further talks with Sri Lankan rulers who have, for one and a half decades, failed to serve justice to the victims who were handed over to the army in the final stages of the war.
“We are not ready to talk with Sri Lankan rulers who create an environment in which we continue to face issues that make us suffer every day. We are not ready to talk with this president either. We seek justice through international intervention.”
Chairperson of the North-East Association of Relatives of Enforced Disappearances (ARED) Yogarasa Kanagaranjani, voiced their frustration on 23 May in Killinochchi. This was in response to a question by journalists as to whether steps would be taken to hand over a letter about their pressing issues or to launch a protest regarding the same when President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives in Killinochchi on 25 May during his two-day visit to the north.
The government has stated that Wickremesinghe’s tour in the northern province on a three day visit was in order to inspect development activities.
The President’s office has stated that 1,700 permanent land deeds covering the four divisional Secretariat areas in the Killinochchi district were distributed.
M.A. Sumanthiran and Dharmalingam Siddharthan were seen at the President’s meeting, which was turned down by the relatives of the forcibly disappeared.
Speaking to journalists, war-victim Yogarasa Kanagaranjanee has recalled how testimonies were given in vain to former presidents and commissions appointed by consecutive presidents since the end of the war on 18 May 2009.
“Walk with us day in and day out, and show our protest to the world. You know how many times we have talked with the government, and how many times we have talked with former Presidents of Sri Lanka. We have met Maithripala Sirisena three-four times. We have met around 12 commissions appointed by Sri Lankan governments.”
She alleged that the government has misplaced evidence provided four years ago about five forcibly disappeared Tamils in order to find out the fate. When the evidence, she added, the government was given a three-month ultimatum.
“Authentic evidence about the five persons, including those showing them being alive, was submitted. We said that we needed a response within three months. Four years later, the rulers are now saying that they have lost that evidence, and are asking for the same evidence again.”
The Office on Missing Persons (OMP), which was established on 28 February 2018 when the incumbent President served as the country’s Prime Minister, has not been able to reveal the whereabouts of at least one disappeared person to their relatives engaged in Sri Lanka’s longest ongoing struggle.
After providing information to several State institutions including the OMP as well as several commissions on a number of occasions, Tamil war victims remain sceptical about the possibility of finding out the truth through domestic mechanisms.
Despite acknowledging the government’s failure in the most recent report on Accountability for Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka the UN once again urged the international community to continue with its assistance to the OMP.
In February and March 2017, protests were launched in Vavuniya, Killinochchi, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, and Ampara urging the government to reveal the fate of those who have gone missing in the final stages of the war, including those who disappeared after surrendering to the defence forces.
War-affected Tamil mothers, who have lost their near and dear, have flatly refused to accept the proposed certificate of absence and compensation issued for the forcibly disappeared. The government proposed these steps promising to deliver justice to whom they described as ‘missing’.
