A memorandum on Sri Lanka has been handed over to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres by a pro-LTTE organisation.
The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), in association with many mothers, relatives and friends of the Tamil victims of enforced disappearance in Sri Lanka, held demonstrations around the world.
Following a demonstration outside the United Nations in New York, a memorandum was handed over to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“For over 114 days, the relatives and friends of the victims of Enforced Disappearances have staged a continuous protest by the roadside in Kilinochchi in the North Eastern part of the island, demanding that their children and family members be brought back home or an investigation be conducted with the participation of international experts about the fate of their children and family members,” the TGTE said.
In the memorandum to the UN Secretary General, it was stated that Sri Lanka is ranked the second largest number of enforced disappearance cases in the world, in addition to the Tamil civilians who are subject to enforced disappearance by the Sri Lankan State, the fate of large numbers of surrendered cadres of the LTTE is still unknown, the establishment of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) was done without any consultations with the victims and that the OMP also continues to deny the possibility of any engagement of international experts in its operations, despite persistent demands by the victims.
The UN Chief was also told that the Government of Sri Lanka has ensured that the victims of enforced disappearance could not seek any international remedy by refusing to make declaration under Article 31 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which would normally allow a grieved party to bring individual complaints directly to the International Committee on Enforced Disappearance.
The TGTE says it will organise more events and initiate new actions in association with the mothers, relatives of the victims, and Human Rights Organizations on August 30th, the International Disappearance Day.
Courtesy: Colombo Gazette
