Min. Mangala Samaraweera speaks about OMP

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - Minister Mangala Samaraweera notes that the Office on Missing Persons does not aim to benefit only one community and does not threaten another. Further, he added that it is merely a truth-seeking mechanism that aims to investigate and find out the truth about those identified as “missing” or who have disappeared during times of conflict. Issuing a statement on appointments of Members of the OMP, Minister of Finance and Mass Media, Mangala Samaraweera stated that its mandate cuts across all ethnic and religious boundaries. He also stated that it seeks to investigate persons missing in connection with the conflict between the North and East and its aftermath. Minister Samaraweera goes onto state that the OMP is not a law enforcement or judicial body adding that the findings of the OMP shall not give rise to any criminal or civil liability. Min. Samaraweera also rejects claims made that the actions of the OMP will be similar to a witch hunt in order to prosecute war heroes. "These rumors are political manipulations to deter the fair and just actions taken by the government towards peace and reconciliation." - Minister Mangala Samaraweera He notes that Self-serving policies and party politics have taken precedence over the suffering families of those gone missing over the past 30 years. The minister recalls that Mahinda Rajapaksa in 1989, got arrested at the airport while he carried documents with information regarding the missing to the UNHRC in Geneva and notes that he is dismayed that the same movement has been portrayed by this camp as an attack on our war heroes. He concludes by stating that the OMP is an autonomous, transparent commission acting independently of any political biases or affiliations. "This multiethnic island is one step away from lasting peace and prosperity. We as citizens of this great country must take this step together.." - Minister Mangala Samaraweera