By Easwaran Rutnam

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances has urged Sri Lanka to establish a genetic database to help trace the disappeared.

The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) issued its findings on Benin, Montenegro, and Sri Lanka, after reviewing the three States Parties in its latest session.

The committee recommended that Sri Lanka strengthen the forensic capacity of all competent authorities with respect to the identification, safekeeping and dignified return of identified bodies and human remains to their families, including by adopting protocols for the different phases of the procedure, and providing the institutions with adequate equipment and technology.

It also urged Sri Lanka to ensure that all evidence, the human remains, and forensic data are safeguarded and documented transparently, ensuring their availability for future accountability processes and provide the competent authorities with the necessary human, technical and financial resources, including international forensic cooperation.

The Committee was concerned about the lack of a comprehensive register of disappeared persons and the limited progress in clarifying their fate and whereabouts, noting that the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) had only traced 23 disappeared persons out of the 16,966 received cases.

It also stated its concern about the high level of impunity, reflected in the lack of progress in the investigation and prosecution of alleged enforced disappearances, including those that occurred during the armed conflict.

The Committee asked Sri Lanka to consolidate a comprehensive and updated register of all disappearance cases and to strengthen the OMP to search for disappeared persons, investigate the alleged disappearance and ensure accountability in all registered cases.

The Committee further called for including war crimes and crimes against humanity in its legislation, and speeding up the establishment of an independent Public Prosecutor Office.

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