From the missing to the missing truth and beyond

The government of Sri Lanka is preparing to meet the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, with a delegation led by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. The delegation will present a response to the advance version of the UNHRC report and discuss progress on reconciliation, accountability, and human rights. The government has been criticized for its handling of past human rights violations, particularly those connected to the thirty-year war.

One of the most pressing issues remains the missing persons, with thousands still unaccounted for. The government has taken steps to strengthen the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), providing additional staff and resources, and supporting excavations at mass graves. However, the clearance rate for establishing the fate and whereabouts of missing persons remains alarmingly low, at less than one percent of the outstanding caseload.

Families of the disappeared continue to demand answers and compensation, protesting the government's actions, which has led to clashes with police in Jaffna. While the OMP works to establish the fate of missing persons, its mandate is limited, and it was not intended to provide a comprehensive account of the past. The government previously committed to establishing a Truth Commission in 2015, but this promise has not been fulfilled.

As Tamil people in the North and East feel the government is failing to deliver on promises important to them, the government needs to address the concerns of all communities, including those whose wounds from the war remain unhealed.