The Presidential Commission inquiring into complaints on the disappeared has received 4000 complaints from parents of members of the Security Forces who disappeared in the North and the East during the conflict period.
This has been revealed by Chairman of the Commission Retired High Court Judge Maxwell Parakrama Paranagama.
President Rajapaksa appointed this Commission on 15th August this year, based on the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. Accordingly, this Presidential Commission of Inquiry has been vested with the task of probing disappearances which occurred from 10th June 1990 to 19th May 2009. The Commission is chaired by Former High Court Judge Maxwell Parakrama Paranagama. The other members of this Commission are Mano Ramanathan and Suranjana Vidyaratne.
Although a period of one month had been granted to solicit complaints from the areas concerned through paper advertisements, this period had to be extended for another one month following requests made by the people of the areas concerned. However, the Commission has so far received around 8000 complaints. 4000 of them have come from the Tamil civilians.
The increase in the number of complaints is attributed to the receipt of a number of complaints in respect of one person. The Chairman of the Commission pointed out that all complaints will be probe into until the end and it is revealed that many of those who are said to have disappeared are reported to have gone abroad. Mr. Paranagama announced that the number of complaints lodged by parents of members of the Security Forces who were engaged in operations in the North and the East and had disappeared is 4000.
Also complaints that are not relevant to the Commission had been received and the Commission had taken necessary initiatives to direct them to the related sections.
Responding to a query made as to how long it would take for the release of the report on the disappeared, Mr. Paranagama emphasized that reports of an independent inquiry cannot be expedited to meet the requirements of individuals or organizations.
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