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Government ministries refuse to release list of detainees

The justice and defence ministries have failed to comply with requests by the controversial Presidential Commission on Disappearances to release a list of detainees in the custody of the government, the DailyFT reported.

In a press statement regarding an interim report it submitted to President Sirisena earlier this month, the commission said it made written requests to the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice to release to the commission "names of persons who were in custody of prisons, detention camps, refugee camps, and rehabilitation centres".

“While noting with regret that such requests had not been complied with, the Commission decided to notice the respective officers to appear before the Commission in terms of the powers vested in the Commission by the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry Act,” the report said.

The report claims, of those who complained to the commission about disappearances, 60% made allegations against the LTTE and only 30% of the allegations were against the Sri Lankan military.

“Based on the inquiries conducted thus far, accountability and responsibility by these parties vary from district to district, and in the Northern Province, 60% of the allegations were levelled against the LTTE, 30% against the security forces, 5% against armed groups and 5% against unknown groups,” the report said.

The reports further says it had received 16,153 complaints from residents in the North-East and 5,200 complaints from the families of security forces.

The commission was established by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and its credibility has been questioned repeatedly. Earlier this year Tamil civil society organisations said they would boycott the organisation.

Tamil orgs reject Sri Lanka's Commission on Missing Persons, call for international mechanism (26 Feb 2015)

Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Disappearances lacks credibility - CPA (02 October 2014)

'Deceptive' Presidential Commission on Missing Persons an attempt to mislead people – TNA (17 August 2014)

Presidential Commission chair dismisses CPA criticism (05 October 2014)

Presidential commission denies military interference (23 Oct 2014)

'Who do you think you're fooling' shouts Tamil mother at Presidential Commission (02 Oct 2014)

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