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{{Short description|Sri Lankan government department}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name = Office on Missing Persons
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| formed = {{Start date and age|2017|09|15|df=y}}
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| jurisdiction = [[Sri Lanka]]
| headquarters = Shravasthi Mandhiraya <br>No. 32, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, [[Colombo 7]], [[Colombo District]], Sri Lanka
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| motto =
| employees =
| budget = Rs 1.3 Billion (2018)
| chief1_name = [[Mahesh Katulanda]]
| chief1_position = Chairman ( From 2021)
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| parent_department = [[Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation]]
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| keydocument1 = {{URL|http://documents.gov.lk/files/act/2016/8/14-2016_E.pdf|Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration And Discharge Of Functions) Act, No. 14 of 2016}}
| keydocument2 = {{URL|http://documents.gov.lk/files/act/2017/7/09-2017_E.pdf|Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration And Discharge Of Functions) (Amendment) Act, No. 9 of 2017}}
| website = {{URL|nirmin.gov.lk/}}
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The '''Office on Missing Persons (OMP)'''' is a [[Sri Lanka]]n government department tasked with bringing closure to suffering victims and their relatives by determining the status of all missing persons in Sri Lanka. It is the first pillar of four "Transitional Justice mechanisms" proposed by the [[15th Parliament of Sri Lanka|Sirisena–Wickremesinghe administration]] in the [[aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War]].{{sfn|Sunday Times|2018}}{{sfn|Daily News|2018}} The Office On Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration And Discharge Of Functions) Act, No. 14 of 2016 provides for:

{{quote|"...the establishment of the office on missing persons; to provide for the searching and tracing of missing persons; to provide assistance to relatives of missing persons; for the setting up of a database of missing persons; for setting out the procedures and guidelines applicable to the powers and functions assigned to the said office; and to provide for all matters which are connected with or incidental to, the implementation of the provisions of this act.{{sfn|Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka|2016|pp=1}}}}

Anywhere between 16,000 and 20,000 people are thought to be [[Missing person|missing]] in Sri Lanka.{{sfn|Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms|2018}}{{sfn|Ministry of National Integration & Reconciliation|2018}}{{sfn|The Hindu|2018}}
{{TOC limit|3}}

==Background==
{{Main|Enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka}}

After the end of the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]], recommendations of the [[Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission]] (LLRC) (December 2011), included investigations into the disappearances and abductions of persons to ensure accountability and responsibility on them.{{sfn|Ministry of National Integration & Reconciliation|2018}} The [[Presidential Commission of Inquiry Into Complaints of Abductions and Disappearances]] (August 2015), also known as the Paranagama Commission, after its head [[Maxwell Paranagama]], investigating missing persons Sri Lanka, found close to 19,000 persons confirmed to have gone missing during the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]]. 23,586 complaints were received including approximately 5,000 from families of security forces personals.{{sfn|Ministry of National Integration & Reconciliation|2018}} A [[United Nations]] [[Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances]], during the period from 1980 to 2010 related to the [[1987–1989 JVP insurrection]] and Sri Lankan Civil War, recorded 12,000 cases of enforced disappearances.{{sfn|Daily News|2018}}

==History==
The government first introduced a bill to establish the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) on the 22 May 2016.{{sfn|Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms|2018}} The Office was established 15 September 2017,{{sfn|Daily News|2018}}{{sfn|Sri Lanka Brief|2017}} and operations commenced on 28 February 2018 with the appointment of members to the commission.{{sfn|Asian Tribune|2018}} The office's first step will be to investigate missing persons in conflict affected areas of the North and East of the country including victims, civilians and members of the armed forces and the police.{{sfn|Asian Tribune|2018}} As of March 2018 13,294 completed applications (Feedback Data Sheet) have been submitted island-wide. A database has also been developed to maintain records of missing persons.{{sfn|Asian Tribune|2018}}

==Operations==
===Scope===
In the context of the office, a missing person is defined as "one whose fate or whereabouts are reasonably believed to be unknown". Such as the following:{{sfn|Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka|2016|pp=171}}

:*1. "in the course of, consequent to, or in connection with the [[Sri Lankan Civil War|conflict which took place in the Northern and Eastern Provinces]] or its aftermath, or is a member of the armed forces or police who is identified as “missing in action”; or
:*2. in connection with political unrest or civil disturbances (such as the youth insurrections of [[1971 JVP insurrection|1971]] or [[1987–1989 JVP insurrection]]); or
:*3. as an enforced disappearance as defined in the “[[International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance]]”;"

This definition applies to all people in all regions of Sri Lanka regardless of ethnicity or religion.{{sfn|Asian Tribune|2018}}

===Commission===
;2018-2021
There are 7 members of the commission who are appointed for a term of 3 years. Each member can only serve a maximum of two terms. All commissioners are nominated and approved by the [[Constitutional Council (Sri Lanka)|Constitutional Council]] and are appointed by the president.{{sfn|Sunday Times|2018}}{{sfn|Daily News|2018}} The commissioners are to not only be qualified professionals on human rights, humanitarian Laws and with investigative skills but also representative of the Sri Lankan society as a whole.{{sfn|Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka|2016|pp=3}}{{sfn|Asian Tribune|2018}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Member !! Position !! Joined Council !! Term expires !! Appointed by !! Notes
|-
| [[Saliya Pieris]] PC || Chairman || rowspan="7" |28 February 2018 || rowspan="7" |28 February 2021 || rowspan="7" |[[Maithripala Sirisena]] || Human rights and constitutional Lawyer
|-
| [[Jayatheepa Punniyamoorthy]] || Commissioner || Women's rights activist
|-
| [[Mohanti Antonette Peiris]] || Commissioner || Major General (Rtd.)
|-
| [[Nimalka Fernando]] || Commissioner || Lawyer, human rights activist
|-
| [[Mirak Raheem]] || Commissioner || Human rights researcher
|-
| [[Somasiri Liyanage]] || Commissioner || Lawyer
|-
| [[Kanapathipillai Venthan]] || Commissioner || Human rights activist
|}

===Mandate===
The Office on Missing Persons is not law enforcement or Judicial agency, but a truth and investigative one.{{sfn|Asian Tribune|2018}} The findings of the OMP will not give rise to any criminal or civil liability.{{sfn|Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka|2016|pp=15}} The commission has the power to recommend compensation and to clear the way for next of kin to take legal action against those responsible for the disappearance of their loved ones.{{sfn|The Hindu|2018}} According to Part II Section 10 of the Office on Missing Persons Act, No. 14 of 2016, the office was established:{{sfn|Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka|2016|pp=6}}

{{quote|(a) to search for and trace missing persons and identify appropriate mechanisms for the same and to clarify the circumstances in which such persons went missing;}}
{{quote|(b) to make recommendations to the relevant authorities towards addressing the incidence of missing persons;}}
{{quote|(c) to protect the rights and interests of missing persons and their relatives as provided for in this Act;}}
{{quote|(d) to identify avenues of redress to which missing persons and relatives of missing persons are entitled and to inform the missing person (if found alive) or relative of such missing person of same;}}
{{quote|(e) to collate data related to missing persons obtained by processes presently being carried out, or which were previously carried out, by other institutions, organizations, Government Departments and Commissions of Inquiry and Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry and centralize all available data within the database established under this Act;}}
{{quote|(f) to do all such other necessary things that may become necessary to achieve the objectives under the Act}}

The OMP had a budget of Rs 1.3 Billion (2018).{{sfn|Sunday Times|2018}}

==See also==
* [[Sri Lanka and state terrorism]]
* [[Human rights in Sri Lanka]]
* [[Alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web |title=Sri Lankan govt. launches Office of Missing Persons |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/sri-lankan-govt-launches-office-of-missing-persons/article22897882.ece |website=The Hindu |access-date=11 December 2018 |language=en-IN |date=1 March 2018}}
* {{cite web |title=Office on Missing Persons (OMP) Commences Operation {{!}} Asian Tribune |url=http://asiantribune.com/node/91691 |website=asiantribune.com |publisher=Asian Tribune |access-date=11 December 2018}}
* {{cite web |title=OMP: the Facts |url=https://www.scrm.gov.lk/faq-omp |website=Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms |access-date=11 December 2018 |language=en}}
* {{cite web |title=Office on Missing Persons (OMP) |url=http://nirmin.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=127:office-on-missing-persons-omp&catid=9:projects&lang=en&Itemid=208 |website=nirmin.gov.lk |publisher=Ministry of National Integration & Reconciliation |access-date=11 December 2018}}
* {{cite news |title=Sri Lanka: Office of Missing Persons to be operational from 15th this month. {{!}} Sri Lanka Brief |url=http://srilankabrief.org/2017/09/sri-lanka-office-of-missing-persons-to-be-operational-from-15th-this-month/ |access-date=11 December 2018 |publisher=Srilankabrief.org |date=13 September 2017}}
* {{cite news |last1=Imtiaz |first1=Zahrah |title=Saliya Peiris to head OMP Office |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2018/03/01/local/144281/saliya-peiris-head-omp-office |access-date=11 December 2018 |work=Daily News |date=1 March 2018 |language=en}}
* {{cite journal |author1=Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |title=Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration and Discharge of Functions) Act, No. 14 of 2016 |date=23 August 2016 |url=http://documents.gov.lk/files/act/2016/8/14-2016_E.pdf |publisher=[[The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka]] |language=en}}
* {{cite web |title=Office of Missing Persons |url=https://www.scrm.gov.lk/omp |website=Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms |access-date=11 December 2018 |language=en}}
* {{cite web |title=President appoints commissioners to Office of Missing Persons |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1039944/president-appoints-commissioners-to-office-of-missing-persons |website=Sunday Times |access-date=11 December 2018 |language=en}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://www.scrm.gov.lk/omp Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms - Office of Missing Persons]
* [https://www.colombotelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Paranagama-Report-.pdf Paranagama Report]

{{Sri Lankan Civil War}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1971 JVP insurrection]]
[[Category:1987–1989 JVP insurrection]]
[[Category:2017 establishments in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka| ]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 2017]]
[[Category:Government agencies of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Missing people organizations]]
[[Category:People of the Sri Lankan Civil War]]
[[Category:Unsolved crimes in Sri Lanka]]

Office on Missing Persons - Revision history

175.157.15.196: robot: Create/update articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.