The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has announced a new roadmap to conclude preliminary inquiries into verified complaints of missing persons within the next two years, following Cabinet approval for increased resources and specialised investigative panels.
Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Morning, OMP Executive Director Dr. Jeganathan Thatparan explained the current statistical standing of missing persons complaints, distinguishing verified active cases from historical duplications.
“Altogether, we have roughly 21,000 records. However, after deducting ‘missing in action’ cases from the armed forces and double entries, the verified count stands at approximately 16,500,” Dr. Thatparan stated.
“Double entries refer to the same missing person reported to different commissions in the past. Once the Office on Missing Persons was established, reports from previous commissions were handed over without verification. We are now verifying those records to address these duplications.”
To address this backlog, the Ministry of Justice has secured high-level Government authorisation to expedite the investigative process.
“We submitted a Cabinet paper through the Ministry of Justice, and the Cabinet has granted approval for us to proceed immediately with preliminary inquiries into these files,” Dr. Thatparan explained.
“To facilitate this, 25 panels will be established to conduct inquiries and record testimonials from families and witnesses.”
The OMP has already commenced the operational phase of this initiative. “The Office on Missing Persons called for applications, and the first batch of panels, consisting of 23 members, has already been selected. We began a series of training programmes for them just this week,” he said.
“The Cabinet has approved the budget for capacity building and the appointment of these panels. Their mandate is to conduct inquiries and bring durable solutions to the affected communities.”
According to Dr. Thatparan, the directive from the Minister of Justice is clear regarding the timeline and the qualitative approach required for these sensitive cases.
“The Minister has directed us to accelerate the process and finish the task within two years, ensuring we find solutions for families who have been waiting for a long time. Our target for the first year is to process 5,000 complaints. However, rather than focusing solely on the numbers, it is the quality of the work that remains our priority.”
Addressing the long-standing resource deficits that have hampered the OMP since its inception, Dr. Thatparan highlighted that staffing issues were finally being resolved. “In past years, we struggled because we could not recruit qualified or trained officials. Although the requirement was for 250 staff, we operated with only 27. We have since advertised these positions, and 69 new staff members will be joining us soon. I am definitely sure that when compared to previous years, we will deliver a much better performance this year.”
Dr. Thatparan further emphasised that the scope of the inquiry would go beyond mere documentation and aimed to integrate with broader transitional justice mechanisms to provide closure and justice where possible.
“The ultimate objective is to find out what happened to the missing person. Even if a death is confirmed and the family possesses a death certificate, that does not mean we can simply close the file. Determining what happened to that person between the time they went missing and the time of their death is crucial,” he asserted.
“Whatever measures we take, we must communicate and consult with the families. We are not just referring to numbers, but to durable solutions that leave families satisfied,” Dr. Thatparan concluded. “Ultimately, we must expand our partnerships with other institutions, such as the Attorney General’s Department and forensic experts, to see how best we can find justice for these families.”