Despite a few protesters, majority attended Jaffna meeting: OMP

The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) today said a majority of the family members whose loved ones went missing and disappeared, attended the OMP meeting held in Jaffna on Saturday despite a few members protesting outside.

Families of the missing and disappeared from the Divisional Secretariat areas of Delft, Kayts, Velanai, Karainagar, Jaffna, Nallur, Uduvil, Chankanai, Sandilipay, Tellippalai, Kopay, Chavakachcheri, Karaveddy, Point Pedro and Maruthankerny attended the meeting held at the Veerasingham Hall in Jaffna.

When the meeting was underway with the participation of OMP Commissioners, some protesters had attempted to obstruct the meeting.

OMP Chairman Saliya Pieris said close to 1,000 family members attended the meeting while a few protested outside.

“Those who were protesting outside were also families of the missing, who are disappointed and wanted prompt actions. The OMP is a permanent institution unlike other entities which were there in the past,” he told Daily Mirror.

However, he said only a few families attended the meeting held at the Co-operative Council in Kilinochchi on Sunday as many people were protesting outside the hall.

The next OMP meeting will be held on August 4 and 5 in Batticaloa to share OMP's organisational plan and strategies and also to obtain people's views to incorporate suggestions on the OMP structure and operations. (Lahiru Pothmulla)