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**COLOMBO, May 23 (APD) ** - Hundreds of mothers in Sri Lankas former war torn north, whose loved ones are missing even eights years after the islands deadly civil war ended, have urged the new United Nations General Secretary to probe the whereabouts of their family members.
In a letter sent to the UN Chief,
António Guterres, the mothers have alleged that thousands are still missing even after the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 and the government had delayed to launch a probe to locate their whereabouts.
Sri Lankas deadly civil conflict between government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels ended in May 2009, ending 30 years of bloodshed and violence in the island country.
The United Nations has alleged that 40,000 civilians, mainly minority Tamils were killed in the finals months of the conflict and have been calling for an international war crimes probe.
The UN High Commissioner Zeid Raad al-Hussein, in his report released in September 2015 noted that the UN had found evidence strongly indicating that war crimes were committed in Sri Lanka in the closing phases of its civil war, and called for the establishment of a special hybrid international court to investigate individuals responsible for the atrocities.
The call however has been continuously rejected, by both the previous government of Mahinda Rajapakse and the present government of Maithripala Sirisena.
Sirisenas government, however, after engaging with the UN and the international community assured it would launch a domestic mechanism to probe the allegations of war crimes and the domestic probe would meet international standards.
The government has also maintained that it would ensure justice for the victims affected by the conflict and would do everything possible to bring in lasting peace and reconciliation.
In their letter however sent to the UN Chief on Tuesday, the mothers of the disappeared alleged that although eights years have passed since the end of the conflict they had no idea on the whereabouts of their loved ones.
"For three long months we have been continuously staging protests by the roadside to draw the worlds attention to our agonizing plight. We just want to know what happened to our beloved sons and daughters, our husbands and wives and our grandchildren who have disappeared," the letter said.
"After eight years we need the truth."
The letter further stated that family members had been badly affected physically and psychologically by the disappearance of their loved ones, and were becoming weaker.
"No one from the iNGOs, or the Government or the International Community has responded to our plea. We would like to spend at least a few days with our children before we die."
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
