The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) in Sri Lanka has organized a special programme today commemorating the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance.
Accordingly, the programme is scheduled to be held at the J.R. Jayewardene Center in Colombo 7 at 3 p.m. today.
In addition, the special march organized by the Secretariat of OMP is slated to commence at the roundabout near Nelum Pokuna and concluded at the J.R. Jayewardene Center.
Special lectures will also be conducted at the event with regard to the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance.
Reportedly, family members of the victims of enforced disappearances, activists of civil organizations and media persons will be attending the event as special invitees.
The OMP, established on 18th February 2018, has officially commenced duties and it has focused on collecting and recording existing data, planning and installation of appropriate structures and processes, recruiting the relevant staff, obtaining approval from government agencies and providing information on missing persons at regional level.
The OMP consists of 07 members, who have been appointed by the President under the recommendations made by the Constitutional Council.
Key tasks of OMP consist of tracing missing and disappeared persons, clarifying the circumstances in which the act took place, protecting the rights and interests of those missing/disappeared and their next of kin, identifying avenues of redress for those affected and making recommendations to the relevant authorities in order to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Complaints on missing persons can be filed in verbal and written forms or through video clips and the confidentiality of the complainants will be ensured, according to the Secretariat of OMP.
The secretariat further says that no official figures on missing persons have been submitted yet, however the Paranagama Commission has reported nearly 21,000 complaints pertaining to incidents of disappearances during the past period, while the Red Cross has reported nearly 16,000 complaints.
