Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission Issues Special Request on Enforced Disappearances

31-Aug-2025

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The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has emphasized that families of victims of enforced disappearances have the right to truth and justice, urging the government to take effective measures to secure these rights.

In its statement issued to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Commission recalled that the UN General Assembly declared August 30 each year as this day in 2010. 

The day is intended to raise awareness about enforced disappearances, typically carried out by state officials or those acting on their orders, involving abductions followed by the refusal to disclose the fate or whereabouts of the victims, thereby inflicting lasting suffering on their families and communities.

The Commission stressed that enforced disappearance is one of the gravest human rights violations, undermining dignity, liberty, and justice. 

In the context of Sri Lanka, the Commission reiterated that enforced disappearance remains a deeply concerning human rights issue. 

It has consistently called on the government to undertake effective investigations, establish the truth, provide reparations, and ensure accountability.

“The families of the disappeared have the right to truth and justice,” the statement concluded.