Mariranjini Nirmalanathan, the secretary of the Association for Enforced Disappearances in Jaffna, has called on the UN High Commissioner to take steps to advance accountability at the International Criminal Court and meet with families of the disappeared during his visit to the island.
In recent weeks, Tamil families of the disappeared have been calling on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to meet with them during his four day visit to the island to hear directly from victim survivors.
The UN High Commissioner will be visiting from June 23 to June 26 and is expected to go to Jaffna, Trincomalee, Colombo and Kandy.
The families of the disappeared wrote to Türk earlier this month and put forward two demands. Their first demand is for Türk meet with the families of the disappeared and the second is for him to visit Mullivaikkal, the site of the 2009 Tamil genocide.
Nirmalanathan said she welcomed Türk's visit as he "needs to see the truth" but explained that the current government will use the opportunity to claim that they will investigate human rights abuses through domestic mechanisms.
"These domestic mechanisms will not be taken up by the new government because they [the Sri Lankan state] are the ones who committed the crimes. How can we go and ask the perpetrators for justice? They are the ones who committed the crimes, how will they give justice?"
"For this reason, we are saying we don’t trust or accept domestic mechanisms. Nor will they give us it." she added.
At the last UN Human Rights Council session in February 2025, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the council that the government would "strengthen" domestic mechanisms such as the Office of Missing Persons (OMP), Office for Reparations, and Office for National Unity and Reconciliation, which Tamil victim survivors have repeatedly rejected.
Over the years, successive Sri Lankan governments have peddled domestic mechanisms to appease the international community but these have failed to meaningfully investigate and provide answers to the Tamil families who are searching for their forcibly disappeared relatives.
Nirmalanathan told the Tamil Guardian that the families of the disappeared have been deceived by various Sri Lankan governments when they have previously engaged with domestic mechanisms.
"We are tired of wandering around and giving [evidence] each time a new government comes into power. That is why we are turning to the international community," she said.
The families of the disappeared who have been campaigning for justice have been subject to surveillance and harassment by Sri Lanka's security forces in an attempt to stop their protests and discourage them for engaging with human rights groups and the UN.
Nirmalanathan went on to highlight the routine harassment she faces from Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for participating in protests.
"As long as I continuously protest in search of my [forcibly disappeared] child, the CID will telephone me. 'Where are you? What is the plan today?' I tell them 'I have just woken up, I don't even know if the sun has risen yet. When the sun has risen, I will tell you my plan.'"
She explained that the CID officers will photograph and video the families of the disappeared during their protests.
"They can take videos as they please. We are not telling lies, we are searching for our relatives. Like this, there is constant military intimidation," she added.
Although Tamil families experience intense surveillance by the state's security forces, they continue to protest and demand to know the fate of their forcibly disappeared relatives.
See full transcript below:
The visiting UN High Commissioner should definitely meet those of us who were affected to bring our voices to the forefront and not just consider the [Sri Lankan] government’s agenda. Meet the victims and hear our stories. The reason we are asking for the discussions at the UNHRC to not just stay there but that it should be raised in the ICC is because they [the government] only speak about domestic mechanisms. These domestic mechanisms will not be taken up by the new government because they are the ones who committed the crimes. How can we go and ask the perpetrators for justice? They are the ones who committed the crimes - how will they give justice? [...] For this reason, we are saying we don’t trust or accept domestic mechanisms. Nor will they give us it. Please High Commissioner meet the victims, take our voices forward, and I ask that at the next Geneva session, our next steps should be advanced. We ask that this should not just be finished with investigation alone but that with the correct information it should be brought before the ICC. We, the affected people, ask this. If you look at their [the Sri Lankan government’s] agenda, they will say that what the satellite taken [during the 2009 genocide] was fake. This is not something we gave right, the satellite took it. With that you took evidence so you know the rest about what happened. It’s not like somebody took it and we gave it. It was the satellite. The truth, there is evidence that a genocide took place here. We are here as witnesses. You will say that what the satellite shows is a lie. That is what the government is like. [...] We do not trust domestic mechanisms. When we did we were deceived. We are tired of wandering around and giving [evidence] each time a new government comes into power. That is why we are turning to the international community. The reason we are fighting today is because we will get justice with international pressure. I am thinking of the next generation. Tomorrow, my child should not be in this position. The reason why the victims are protesting is with the next generation in mind. We ask that you please bring the perpetrators before the ICC.
As long as I continuously protest in search of my [forcibly disappeared] child, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will telephone me. “Where are you? What is the plan today?" I tell them “I have just woken up, I don't even know if the sun has risen yet. When the sun has risen I will tell you my plan.”
Now when we protest, immediately the CID comes and takes videos of us but we are not scared by that. They can take videos as they please. We are not telling lies, we are searching for our relatives. Like this, there is constant military intimidation. They come to me often, not often, continously. In March 2022, when I was standing outside there were soldiers in khaki clothes observing my house. As I was approaching the house, I was wondering why they were looking at my house. As I went in and was shutting the gate, they were looking at me again so I took photos on my phone. As soon as I got my phone, they came and told me to delete the photos. They said “we will shoot you, we will kill you.” I said you can shoot me but I will not delete it. Immediately I went to Colombo. While I was in Colombo trying to inform a human rights group there. At the same time, someone else informed a human rights group here [in Jaffna] what had happened. Then I came back and showed them all the evidence and I gave the human rights group my statement and stated that if I die, it is because of the military. The military is responsible. In a letter to a human rights group, I have written that it is the military that must answer to the international community. Look, I am a woman who is alone. If this is the case for me, imagine how it is for others? This is why we want an international mechanism in this country. We need a solution and we need justice through the international community. A human being can die naturally but should not die through the actions of someone else - only God has that authority. Can you shoot those who were just standing there? It was the international community who said there will be a general amnesty, go surrender.
Where are those who surrendered? It was the international community that said there would be an amnesty for everyone and told them to surrender. Where are those who surrendered?