President signs Office of Missing Persons Act

President Maithripala Sirisena said that he has signed the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Act today.

“I signed the Office of Missing Persons Act today. This marks another step forward in Sri Lanka’s path to sustained peace,” the President tweeted.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake at a news conference today said the President had signed the Act earlier in the day and that the Chairman of the Office would be chosen from the recommendations made by the Constitutional Council.

“The Office of Missing Persons will not only look at the civil war but also the periods of JVP insurrection,” he said.

Karunanayake also stated the Office will come under the purview of the President himself and pointed out that it was just a step in the process of transitional justice followed by the government.

“The general impression of the office is that it was set up to take action against the armed forces. This is a very open and independent commission and those in the armed forces who have done nothing wrong have nothing to worry about,” the minister said.

Speaking of reparation, the Minister said a new Bill would be brought before parliament in the near future and that funds for the process had already been allocated.

The reparation process will bring those displaced by the war to their places of origin. “It is a reconstruction and restoration process,” Minister Karunanayake said.