The Sri Lankan government today welcomed as "reassuring" the International Committee of the Red Cross' findings on disappearances of people during the civil war.
"The fact the report highlights some of the issues we have taken up at various levels for resolution isreassuring while it also emphasises that a clear resolution on this subject is important to all affectedSri Lankans including more than 5,100 families of the military and police, predominantly from the south,as well as the war affected people primarily from North and East," said the Office of the National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), the government's reconciliation arm.
A survey numbering 34 pages and issued late last month said that over 516,000 people were still missing seven years after the conflict ended in 2009.
The report said that out of 395 families surveyed just over one-third believed their loved ones were dead while another third were convinced they were still alive somewhere. The remaining third were unsure.
ONUR headed by former president Chandrika Kumaratunga said as a measure towards relieving the uncertainties and agony the families are going through incoordination with the relevant institutions, has devised a plan of action to systematically look in to thecases of missing persons.
A mechanism has been put in place by the government which will see theestablishment of an independent Office of Missing Persons (OMP) following enactment by Parliament,expected to be completed by the end of August.
To facilitate access to services and benefits offered by the State to the families of the missingpersons in the absence of a Death Certificate, a mechanism to issue a "Certificate of Absence" hasbeen approved by cabinet and the relevant legislation is due to be approved by the Parliament laterthis month.
ONUR said that this legal and administrative remedy will benefit the families of themissing persons with their economic needs while dealing with the ambiguity of the status of theirloved ones in the interim.
