The Sri Lankan President signed the gazette for the Office of Missing Persons today.
Announcing on his official Twitter account that he had signed the gazette, President Sirisena said “this marks another step forward in Sri Lanka’s path to sustained peace.”
“OMP being gazetted is a significant step forward for the people of Sri Lanka,” the UN resident coordinator, Una McCauley said on Twitter.
The US Ambassador, Atul Keshap, said “I’m happy [the President] signed bill and gazetted Office of Missing Persons; families waiting for answers hope for swiftest operationalization.”
The President had met with families of the disappeared in June and promised, regardless of the status of the OMP, he would issue directives to the National Security Council the following day to release lists of surrendees, detainees, and political prisoners that families were demanding.
The Kilinochchi protest of the families of the disappeared reached its 150th day yesterday and those promises remain unfulfilled.
Last week the Northern Province Chief Minister told the outgoing Canadian High Commissioner that he believed the OMP was unlikely to be implemented.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
