Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran has sharply criticised Sri Lankan police and two government ministers over a tense confrontation with families of the forcibly disappeared outside the Jaffna District Secretariat on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Sumanthiran said they “strongly condemn the brutal ways” in which police had manhandled relatives — including elderly mothers — who were protesting against the Office on Missing Persons (OMP). The families had gathered as the OMP held an event ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on 30 August.
நேற்றைய தினம் யாழ் மாவட்ட செயலகத்தில் வலிந்து காணாமல் ஆக்கப்பட்டவர்களது உறவுகள்/ தாய்மார் ஆகியோரை ஶ்ரீ லங்கா பொலிசார் மிக மோசமாக தாக்கி அப்புறப்படுத்தியதை மிக வன்மையாக கண்டிக்கிறோம். அதேபோல் இந்த நிகழ்வுகளை உள்ளேயிருந்து தனது கையடக்கத் தொலைபேசியில் பார்த்து ரசித்துக் கொண்டிருந்த…
— M A Sumanthiran (@MASumanthiran) August 26, 2026
Protest Blocked, Banner Seized
The families, mobilised through the Association of the Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared in the North and East, were demonstrating against the OMP’s record and its continued promotion of domestic mechanisms they say have failed to reveal the fate of their missing loved ones.
Tensions escalated when protesters attempted to display a banner outside the Secretariat. Police officers blocked them, forcibly seized the banner, and restricted public access to the building. Several members of the public were prevented from entering the premises as the confrontation unfolded.
Ministers Accused of Misconduct
The OMP event inside the Secretariat was attended by Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vedanayagan, National People’s Power parliamentarians, and OMP chairman Mahesh Katulanda.
Sumanthiran accused Nanayakkara of “gleefully watching” the confrontation from inside the building. The minister was seen viewing a livestream of the protest on Facebook but did not meet the families outside.
He also condemned Chandrasekar for verbally attacking journalists covering the incident. Chandrasekar allegedly cursed reporters and warned them not to “play with innocent people,” remarks that journalists interpreted as an indirect threat.
Families Reject Compensation, Demand Truth
Families of the disappeared have long rejected compensation packages and death certificates offered through the OMP, insisting that such measures cannot replace credible investigations into what happened to their relatives. Many have spent more than a decade seeking answers about loved ones who were handed over to Sri Lankan security forces during the final stages of the war in 2009.
Despite repeated engagement with domestic mechanisms, the families say they have received no meaningful information about the fate of their missing relatives.
International Conference Ahead
The Association of the Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared is set to hold an international conference in Jaffna on 30 August to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Families say the event will highlight their continuing struggle for truth, justice and accountability.
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