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Parents of missing Northerners seek relief

by Ananda Kannangara

Secretary to the Prime Minister Bradman Weerakoon yesterday told a group of parents of missing persons in the North that the issue of alleged disappearances of their 254 children will be brought to the notice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The report will be submitted within a week.

Around 20 parents and relatives of missing Jaffna civilians led by the Union of Missing Persons Parents Secretary S. Satgumau were present at the meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office. Three Government officials including the Senior Advisor to Prime Minister A.S. Kunasingham and Government Agent, Jaffna C. Pathmanathan were also present.

Satgumau told the officials that at least 600 civilians were reported to have been arrested by the Security Forces during 1996 and 1997 and their whereabouts are not known. "This should be treated as a serious matter as the parents of these missing children need to know whether their children are dead, missing or alive," he said.

He said their Union also reported this matter to the then Prime Minister. On his request some of their members visited several camps and prisons run by the Government in the North and South but traced none of them.

"Although 600 were missing from Jaffna homes during this period the parents of only 254 children reported to the Union about the alleged disappearances."

A Union member A. Wijayakumar said the Security Forces admitted that about 167 persons out of this were killed in incidents in the North during this period.

Weerakoon told the Union members that the Government is keen to solve this matter and bring the justice to all people.

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