COLOMBO, July 21 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary- General António Guterres has commended the Sri Lankan government for establishing the Office of Missing Persons (OMP), saying it was a significant milestone for all Sri Lankans still searching for their missing loved ones.
"The United Nations stands ready to support this process and the Secretary-General looks forward to the OMP becoming operational as soon as possible, starting with the appointment of the independent commissioners, " a statement from the UN Office in Colombo said on Friday.
Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday issued a gazette notification setting up the long-awaited office of missing persons, which will probe into the disappearance of thousands of people during and after Sri Lanka's civil conflict between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
" I signed the Office of Missing Persons Gazette today. This marks another step forward in Sri Lanka's path to sustained peace," the president said on twitter Thursday.
The OMP will be given wide powers to investigate the disappearance of more than 20,000 people, mostly minority Tamils who were the worst affected by the conflict.
