JAFFNA: Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil leaders have asked top UN human rights official to help determine the fate of more than 4,000 civilians reported missing in the country's long civil war amid the government's assertion that most of them are probably dead. UN official Zeid Raad al-Hussein met with the chief minister of Sri Lanka's Northern Province, the centre of the war, which ended in 2009. He is on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka to review measures taken by the government to investigate alleged war abuses during the war.
Both, the government and the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels are accused of grave human rights violations. As per UN estimates, up to 100,000 people were killed in the 26-year war, but many more are feared to have died, including up to 40,000 civilians in the final months of the fighting. The UN Human Rights Council adopted a consensus resolution last year, in which the country agreed to an investigation with foreign participation. Zeid said he discussed several issues with Northern Province chief minister CV Wigneswaran and other provincial officials, including the missing people, detentions without trial and military-occupied private land. He said he would take the issues up with the central government.
“The discussions very much focused on the challenges faced by the province, but also the plans and achievements in that regard, and the people who aspire to see more information in terms of those detained and those missing and the issue of release of lands,” Zeid said. He said the discussions would continue during his visit. Wigneswaran said he gave Zeid a list of the more than 4,000 people reported missing, with dates and places where they were seen last. Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said most of those reported missing were probably dead, adding that the new government found no secret detention centres being run by the state and, that there were only 292 people in government detention.
Wigneswaran said Zeid opposed the suggestion of negotiating an amnesty for Tamil rebel suspects detained for years without trial. Zeid said releasing innocents through a quick and proper legal process would be the best course of action.
