Govt vows truth for families of disappeared

For families who have spent years asking one unanswered question — what happened to their loved ones? — the government has pledged to pursue the truth, saying investigations into enforced disappearances will not be abandoned.

Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, addressing a national commemoration ceremony in Jaffna on Tuesday (25), said the government had taken concrete steps to strengthen the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), including restarting stalled investigations, appointing suitable members to its Board of Directors and recruiting 69 essential staff.

“You waited for years. You asked questions. You sought answers. You lived with your pain,” Nanayakkara told relatives of the disappeared. He said while the government could not change the past or bring back those who had been lost, it could seek the truth, investigate, apply the law and deliver justice.

As of July 31, the OMP had identified 16,966 complaints as investigable and commenced preliminary inquiries. A further 11,000 complaints had been delayed due to funding constraints, but Cabinet allocated Rs. 375 million in 2025 to accelerate investigations through 25 committees.

By the end of July, investigations into 3,000 pending cases had been completed, with the government expecting all preliminary inquiries to be concluded by the end of 2027.

The OMP has referred 1,594 cases for further inquiry, while 2,719 Certificates of Absence and 409 Certificates of Death have been issued to help families resolve legal and administrative difficulties.

Nanayakkara said final information had been established in 31 cases and communicated privately to the respective families.

A further 5,427 persons have been referred to the Reparations Office for compensation and assistance, including psychosocial support, housing, education, vocational training and self-employment opportunities.

He said a special committee comprising family members had also recommended a comprehensive relief package, which is now being planned.

“These are not the final results. They are only milestones in the journey. A great responsibility still lies ahead, and we will not abandon it,” he said.

The Minister stressed that investigations into mass graves, including the Chemmani site, must be driven by the search for truth rather than political interests. Scientific methods, forensic procedures and DNA testing must form the basis of such investigations, he said.

The government has allocated Rs. 57 million for excavations and related legal work at Chemmani, with Nanayakkara assuring that financial constraints would not prevent the search for the truth.

He said remembrance must become responsibility and responsibility must lead to action, with the government committed to building a country where the law applies equally to all, truth is pursued without fear, victims are heard and every citizen’s dignity is protected.

The ceremony, organised by the OMP to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, also included mobile services for families, including diabetes and eye examinations.

Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, OMP Chairman Mahesh Katulanda, Northern Province Governor N. Vedanayagam, MPs, officials and relatives of the disappeared attended the event.