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Commissions of Inquiry into the Involuntary Removal or Disappearance of Persons Print E-mail
Asia & Australasia - Sri Lanka
 
 
NAME OF MECHANISM

Commissions of Inquiry into the Involuntary Removal or Disappearance of Persons (3 geographically distinct commissions)

 
YEARS OF OPERATION

November 1994 – September 1997

 
MANDATE AND OPERATIONS

Mandate: Established by the President to investigate whether individuals had "disappeared" from their abodes since January 1, 1988 (until November 13, 1994, when the commission was created), to determine the fate of the disappeared and bring charges against those responsible for the abductions.  

Structure: Three geographically distinct commissions with varying interpretations of the mandate.

Results:  Investigated over 16,700 of cases of disappearances.
 
FINAL REPORT
Final Reports of the Commissions of Inquiry into the Involuntary Removal or Disappearance of Persons:
-in the Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces
- in the Central, North Western, North Central and Uva Provinces
- in the Northern and Eastern Provinces

Report was made public, compensation paid to the relatives of some of the victims, and over 400 members of the country's security forces were duly charged with human rights violations.

LATEST UPDATE

January 2008: The United Nations has expressed concern at the limited mandate, which excludes investigations of summary executions and human rights violations committed between 1984 and 1988. [UN]

 
COUNTRY LOCATION
MECHANISM
STATUS

COMPLETE
OTHER MECHANISMS

Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Involuntary Removals and Disappearance