The UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances or Involuntary Disappearances is to visit Sri Lanka from November 9 - 18, the chair, Ariel Dulitzky, told the UN Human Rights Council on Friday.
Urging that all states should prioritise the search of disappeared persons, Mr Dulitzky told the Council, “one person is probably being disappeared in one of your countries as we are talking."
“The time for words and promises is over. It is now the time for action on behalf of relatives to support their fight for truth, justice, reparation and memory,” he added.
In May, the working group said they would be visiting Sri Lanka in August, including a team of five independent experts.
This visit was however cancelled by the new Sirisena led government last month, stating that the dates had been agreed by the previous government.
“The WGEID has visited Sri Lanka several times in the past as well and the decision to invite them to visit Sri Lanka once again was taken by the previous government. The dates for the visit, however, were not decided at that time and were decided after the January 8 presidential election.The WGEID will not be able to visit at a time when an election campaign is underway in view of programming difficulties such as securing meetings with relevant minister. The dates will be decided after the election,” the foreign ministry spokesperson, Mahishini Colonne, said.
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