A COMMENTARY ONTHE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE MISSING PERSONS

Recommendations

Info

Geographical)limitations:$The$mandate$of$the$Commission$only$applies$to$“persons$resident$in$the$Northern$and$Eastern$Provinces$during$the$period$10 th$ June$1990$to$19 th$ May$2009$who$have$been$abducted$or$have$disappeared$from$their$places$of$residence.”$$While$ the$ Commission$ has$ entertained$ complaints$ of$ disappearances/$ abduction$ of$ nonQresidents$of$the$Northern$and$Eastern$Provinces$which$occurred$within$these$provinces$]for$example$the$4300$reported$cases$of$security$forces$personnel$who$have$gone$missing$during$the$conflict]$the$mandate$of$the$Commission$has$not$been$interpreted$in$such$a$way$that$ would$ have$ allowed$ the$ Commission$ to$ investigate$ cases$ of$ disappearances$ of$residents$of$the$Northern$and$Eastern$Provinces$who$disappeared/$were$abducted$outside$the$geographical$boundaries$of$the$Northern$and$Eastern$Provinces. 12 $This$is$especially$problematic$asQ$has$been$pointed$out$on$several$occasionsQ$there$are$a$large$number$of$cases$where$residents$of$the$Northern$and$Eastern$Provinces$are$alleged$to$ have$ disappeared/$ been$ abducted$ from$ places$ outside$ the$ Northern$ and$ Eastern$Provinces.$$$Recommendations:$ The$ Commission$ has$ been$ appointed$ in$ order$ to$ give$ effect$ to$ the$recommendations$ provided$ by$ the$ Lessons$ Learnt$ and$ Reconciliation$ Commission$(LLRC). 13 $ Whilst$ civil$ society$ organizations$ have$ on$ previous$ occasions$ pointed$ out$ the$restrictive$nature$of$the$mandate$given$to$the$Commission 14 ,$we$call$upon$the$CommissionQ$based$ on$ the$ above$ mentioned$ precedent$ of$ the$ CommissionQ$ to$ interpret$ its$ mandate$broadly$and$in$light$of$the$spirit$of$the$recommendations$of$the$LLRC. 15 $CPA"urges"the"Commission"to"recommend$in$its$interim$report$to$the$Government$that$immediate$steps$are$taken$to$investigate$through$a$credible$and$independent$mechanism,$"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""$12$In$a$case,$which$came$up$before$the$Commission$on$the$14 th $of$February$2014,$a$complaint$regarding$a$resident$of$Jaffna$who$went$missing$from$Colombo$was$not$entertained$by$the$Commission$as$it$fell$outside$its$mandate.$$13$Department$of$Government$Information,$“President$Extends$Mandate$of$Missing$Persons$Commission$by$Six$Months”,$20 th $February$2014,$available$at$http://www.news.lk/news/sriQlanka/8493QpresidentQextendsQmandateQofQmissingQpersonsQcommissionQbyQsixQmonths$$14$See$Letter$written$by$K.$J.$Brito$Fernando,$Collective$of$the$Families$of$the$Disappeared$Persons$to$The$Secretary,$Presidential$Commission$to$Inquire$into$the$Complaints$regarding$Missing$Persons,$available$at$http://groundviews.org/2014/02/13/hearingsQofQtheQcommissionQtoQinquireQintoQtheQcomplaintsQregardingQmissingQpersons/;$Law$and$Society$Trust,$“Presidential$commission$to$probe$Disappearance$–$Jaffna$Sightings$(February$14$to$17)”,$February$2014,$available$at$http://www.lawandsocietytrust.org/PDF/resource/Observations_LST.pdf$$15$See$“Report$of$the$Commission$of$Inquiry$on$Lessons$Learnt$and$Reconciliation”$(LLRC$Report),$$November$2011,$Para$9.45$–$9.51,$available$at$http://slembassyusa.org/downloads/LLRCQREPORT.pdf$$"5"|"P age"
incidents$ of$ abductions$ and$ disappearances,$ which$ occurred$ throughout$ the$ island$ after$the$19 th$ of$May$2009.$$$$Past"Commissions"of"Inquiry"to"Investigate"Allegations"of"Disappearances""CPA’s$assessment$of$past$initiatives$indicate$at$least$05$previous$Commissions$of$Inquiry 16 $and$01"Board$of$Investigation 17 $between$1990$and$2006,$which$were$appointed$to$inquire$into$ allegations$ of$ disappearances$ in$ the$ Northern$ and$ Eastern$ Provinces$ during$ this$period.$All$of$these$mechanisms$had$the$mandate$to$investigate,$collect/$record$evidence$into$allegations$of$disappearances.$The$reports$of$these$mechanisms$have$not$been$made$public$except$in$02$instances.$The$reports,$which$were$made$public$identified$alleged$perpetrators$and$prescribed$legal$action$to$be$taken$against$such$persons.$However,$information$publicly$available$indicates$that$this$was$never$followed$through. 18 $CPA$ believes$ that$ the$ reports$ of$ previous$ mechanisms$ can$ inform$ the$ current$Commissioners$as$to$the$context$and$dynamics$during$the$different$time$periods$across$the$Northern$and$Eastern$Provinces$(i.e.$who$controlled$the$area$where$persons$disappeared/$went$ missing$ from).$ CPA$ notes$ that$ during$ the$ hearings,$ the$ Commissioners$ routinely$""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""16"(1)The$Commission$appointed$by$President$R.$Premadasa$to$Inquire$into$and$obtain$information$and$report$in$respect$of$Involuntary$Removals$during$the$period$of$24$months$commencing$11 th$ January$1991[Report$NOT$made$Public];$(2)Presidential$Commission$of$Inquiry$into$involuntary$removal$of$persons$during$1991Q1993$appointed$by$President$D.B$Wijetunga$[Report$NOT$made$Public];$(3)$The$Zonal$Commission$on$“Involuntary$Removal$or$Disappearance$of$Persons$from$their$homes$between$1$January$1988$and$December$1994–$Northern$and$Eastern$Province”$appointed$$by$President$Chandrika$Bandaranaike$Kumaratunga$[Report$made$public$in$1998];$(4)The$All$Island$Disappearances$Commission$appointed$by$President$Chandrika$Bandaranaike$Kumaratunga$in$1998$to$investigate$complaints$made$to$the$Zonal$Commission$on$Disappearance$but$which$were$no$investigation$had$commenced$up$until$that$date$[Report$made$public$on$10 th June$2002]$;"(5)"Presidential$Commission$on$the$Disappeared$appointed$by$President$Mahinda$Rajapakshe$on$15 th$ September$2006$to$examine$the$circumstances$that$lead$to$such$incidents$of$abductions,$disappearances,$unidentified$dead$bodies$and$unexplained$killings$as$were$reported$throughout$Sri$Lanka$during$that$period$[Report$has$not$been$made$public]$$17$Ministry$of$Defence$Board$of$Investigation$into$Disappearances$in$the$Jaffna$Peninsula$during$1996,$Appointed$on$5 th$ November$1996$[Report$not$made$public].$$18$United$States$Institute$of$Peace,$“Commissions$of$Inquiry:$Sri$Lanka,$Commissions$of$Inquiry$into$the$Involuntary$Removal$or$Disappearance$of$Persons”,$available$at$http://www.usip.org/publications/commissionsQofQinquiryQsriQlanka$$"6"|"P age"
Page 1 and 2: A COMMENTARY ON THE PRESIDENTIALCOM
Page 3 and 4: appointed$on$the$15 th$ of$August$2
Page 5: CPA$welcomes$the$decision$by$the$Co
Page 9 and 10: Commission$with$information$require
Page 11 and 12: eceive$a$formal$hearing.$Even$in$th
Page 13 and 14: action$ be$ taken$ against$ individ
Page 15 and 16: I fldgi ( ^I& fPoh - YS% ,xld m%cd;

A COMMENTARY ONTHE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE MISSING PERSONS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?