Marking International Women's Day by visiting families of the disappeared in the North-East, the United States ambassador Alaina B Teplitz highlighted the lack of progress in Sri Lanka over enforced disappearances.

"It’s taking too long. All families deserve answers about their missing loved ones. #disappearedSL #stillnoanswers," she tweeted, along with a photograph of her visiting families of the disappeared. 

Her comments come as hundreds of families protested across the Tamil homeland in recent weeks calling for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court over mass atrocities committed by government troops against Tamils. 

^{Hundreds protest in Kilinochchi on February 25, 2019}

^{Families of the disappeared protesting in Vavuniya on January 31, 2019} 

A mass rally was held in Kilinochchi on February 25, the opening day of the Council's session, with hundreds of families of the disappeared demanding justice through an international mechanism for genocide. Families condemned the granting of more time to the Sri Lankan government arguing that nothing had been achieved so far. Hundreds of businesses across the North held hartals in solidarity with the protests. 

Read more: 

Families of disappeared hold mass rally against resolution extension

Mass hartals as businesses express solidarity with families of disappeared

Mannar families of disappeared protest against UN resolution extension (28 February 2019)

Families of disappeared in Amparai protest against UN extension (27 February 2019)