sri lanka's commissions of inquiry - Law & Society Trust

Commissions. After excluding duplicates and complaints that did
not come within the mandate, six thousand three hundred and forty
five were determined to be for inquiry. Of those, four thousand four
hundred and seventy three were inquired into by the Commission.
Of the six hundred and fifty four complaints pertaining to returned
detainees, the Commission inquired into three hundred and eighty four
of them.
Although the Report does not clarify the reason behind the failure
to inquire into all complaints, it implies that it was due to nonappearance
of the complainants. Significantly, the passage of time
and the loss of hope were cited as major factors in non-appearance of
complainants. 74
Cases inquired into fell into the following categories: bodies were
found and identified; credible evidence of detention/seen in detention,
evidence of abduction only; no evidence of abduction or detention;
those abducted & released; and those alleged to have disappeared but
traced subsequently. 75
The Commission states that, although bodies were found in a mere
six hundred and forty seven cases, “in the given context, the word
“disappearance” is only a euphemism for the death caused by extra
judicial killings.” 76
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS:
While the All-Island Commission’s Report does make some
suggestions for the importance of establishing in international law
74.
Final Report, All Island Commission, p. 5.
75.
Final Report, All Island Commission, p. 6.
76.
Final Report, All Island Commission, p. 7.
77.
Keenan, Alan, “Exorcizing Ghosts and Disappearing Reports: Building the Political and
Social Conditions for Implementing the Recommendations of the Report of the All-Island
Commission of Inquiry into Involuntary Removal and Disappearance of Certain Persons”,
Presentation to the Law & Society Trust, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 14 August 2002.
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