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A special commission appointed to investigate thousands of missing people during Sri Lanka's three- decade war has received nearly 400 new complaints during hearings in the formerly war torn areas, an official said here on Thursday.
In February, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa extended the mandate issued to the special commission tasked with investigating thousands of people who disappeared during the country's brutal three decade war that ended in 2009.
President Rajapaksa appointed a special presidential commission to probe war missing ahead of an official visit by United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay in 2013.
As many as 16, 000 applications have been received by the commission from the families of people who disappeared during the war. This motivated President Rajapaksa to increase the timeline for the completion of the hearings and investigations by six months.
The three-member commission, is mandated to inquire into and report on alleged abductions or disappearances during the period June 10, 1990, to May 19, 2009.
Chairman of the presidential commission inquiring into Missing Persons Maxwell Paranagama said that they had received 397 new complaints during sittings held in the Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province that saw some of the worst fighting. "The fifth round of sitting was concluded last weekend. These complaints will now be investigated and then forwarded to the Attorney General for further examination," Paranagama told reporters.
The commission's work continues as the Sri Lankan government faces a United Nations investigation into allegations of rights abuses including war crimes during the last seven years of conflict.
The Sri Lankan government has rejected the probe and insisted domestic mechanisms such as the commission on missing persons will provide reconciliation.
