Jaffna missing persons inquiry to begin

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 January 2003, 16:37 GMT]
The one member committee of inquiry appointed by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to probe into several hundreds of Tamil youths who went missing in Jaffna peninsula during 1996 and 1997 is scheduled to begin its sitting from January 24 in Jaffna. A former Jaffna government agent Mr. Devanesan Nesiah heads the committee.

As a prelude to the official inquiry, preliminary investigation to collect necessary information to be submitted to the committee of inquiry began Thursday in Jaffna under the guidance of the committee secretary and the national organizer of the Project for Strengthening Human Rights and Development Mr.M.C.M.Iqbal, HRC sources said.

Mr. Iqbal Thursday visited Chavakachcheri government hospital and conducted investigation into several incidents. He said he is to meet the representatives of the Jaffna Missing Persons Guardians Association at Chavakachcheri Friday to collect more information regarding several missing persons during the said period, HRC sources said.

Jaffna HRC regional co-ordinator Mr.Ruwan Chandrasekara said further investigation to collect more data about the missing persons would be held in Jaffna HRC office Saturday to complete the preliminary investigations.