The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law
The Minister stated that the Government is committed to securing justice and closure for families of missing persons across all regions, while acknowledging the pain related to disappearances at the end of the war in 2009. He said concerns about appointments to the Office for Reparations would be raised in appropriate forums, and noted that the CTUR Act has been referred to the Law Commission because some provisions conflict with the Office for Reparations Act and the OMP Act. He affirmed that disappearances and killings would be addressed under local criminal law, with new laws if needed, and said the Government is seeking international expertise, assistance and training to support enforcement over the coming years.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Member. I do understand that victims need justice and justice is what our Government is going to give. When it comes to justice for people, the families of missing persons, we do not divide on North, East or South; it is “One country, one people”. With regard to the issue of missing persons, a closure is necessary, justice is necessary. Whether one year and four months is sufficient for that is another matter altogether, but we are moving in the right direction and are on the right path.
¶ 02 Secondly, regarding persons who went missing towards the end of the war in 2009, obviously, I could sit and argue, but it is not going to serve any purpose because we do not know all the details. But, we understand the pain of it and we are working on it.
¶ 03 Then, the members of the Office for Reparations are appointed by the Constitutional Council based on the applications received. I will, however, take up your concerns at appropriate forums.
¶ 04 Also, I would like to say that we went through the Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka Act — the CTUR Act — but there is a problem. It was hastily drafted during the previous regime and some Sections of it are conflicting with the OR Act and the OMP Act, which are very powerful Acts. So, right now, I have sent that Act to the Law Commission to find a suitable way of getting it passed through.
¶ 05 Further, I would like to say that causing a person to go missing is a crime; killing is a crime. But, whatever the crime is, the local criminal law will be applied equally to everybody who had committed it. If new laws are necessary, they will be brought in.
¶ 06 Finally, when it comes to international mechanisms, right now, we are working to get expertise, help, training or whatever that is necessary for those. And, believe me, when it comes to their enforcement, within the next three or four years, you would see that we would do a fair job. We are committed to doing a fair and a decent job to address the grievances of the people.
¶ 07 Once again, Hon. Member, I thank you very sincerely for raising this Question.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Friday, 20 March 2026 ·No. 23396 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 March 2026. No. 23396. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/8391