About 17,000 still missing in Sri Lanka, says OMP

The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) in Sri Lanka is currently managing approximately 17,000 active cases of disappearances, according to OMP Chairman Mahesh Katulanda. The OMP's database contains over 23,000 cases, including those linked to the country's long-standing military conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which concluded in 2009. Katulanda addressed an event to commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed on August 30.

Katulanda explained that the OMP has eliminated duplicates and individuals listed as missing in action from their records, resulting in 16,966 active case files of disappearances. The organization, established in 2016, aims to provide closure to victims and their families by determining the status of all missing persons in Sri Lanka.

OMP officials hold individual meetings with families to gather information about the circumstances surrounding their loved ones' disappearances. Each affected family receives a one-time payment of LKR 5,000, which is not considered compensation but rather a revival payment.

As of now, 9,072 families have been interviewed by the OMP. The government has allocated over LKR 375 million to support the OMP's efforts, including the payments to families. The OMP, which began operations in 2018, investigates and traces individuals who have disappeared by examining the circumstances that led to their disappearance. Additionally, the organization maintains a comprehensive database of missing and disappeared persons.

Estimates suggest that around 20,000 people are missing following the end of the conflict with the LTTE, which claimed over 100,000 lives. The OMP is also involved in cases of armed conflicts involving the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in Sri Lanka's southern regions.