Disappearances Commission to visit Jaffna peninsula

By Asif Fuard

The Special Presidential Investigation on the disappearances of people handled by the one-man commissioner - retired High Court Judge Mahanama Tillekeratne - is to visit the Jaffna peninsula to carry out investigations into allegations of disappearances reported from there.

Of a total of 63 complaints, 10 had been received from Jaffna during the last three months.

Commissioner Tillakaratne told The Sunday Times “We have managed to probe quite a number of cases relating to abductions. You cannot point the finger at a particular group or party because most of these abductions are due to a number of reasons”.

The investigations conducted by the one-man commission revealed that in a few cases the ‘disappeared’ person had voluntarily got into a vehicle as he had known someone in the vehicle.

The investigations also revealed that some persons reported to be abducted are in fact evading the law as they are facing charges of murder and trafficking in narcotics.

A non-governmental body known as the Civil Monitoring Committee which is investigating extra-judicial killings and abductions has revealed that 6 persons have been killed, 8 persons released and 29 yet missing.

The spokesperson for the Civil Monitoring Committee, Colombo District Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan told The Sunday Times the number of abductions is increasing while the Government is taking too much time in setting up an international body to monitor the abductions. He said the Civil Monitoring Committee has no faith in Presidential Commissions.

“There have been Presidential Commissions in the past investigating into matters which remain unsolved mysteries. We need an international monitoring body. The Government keeps changing its stance due to conflict of political interests. A proper investigation cannot be done as a result,” Mr. Ganesan said.