President assures solution on missing persons issue

President Maithripala Sirisena today assured that he will look to resolve the issue on persons reported missing during the war. The President gave the assurance when he visited Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu, a town which was once under LTTE control. President Sirisena was in Puthukkudiyiruppu today to declare open a new garment factory by the Hirdaramani group. Addressing the gathering at the event, the President said that when he spoke to the employees of the factory they spoke to him about a few concerns they had.Among the concerns raised was poor infrastructure facilities in some areas of the North despite the end of the war seven years ago.

However some employees had also raised concerns over Tamils reported missing during and soon after the war and over the arrest of several Tamils under anti-terrorism laws. President Sirisena said that he took all the concerns into consideration and assured the Tamils employed at the factory that he will address their concerns. Hundreds have been reported missing, particularly in the North and the Government has already said it will establish a missing persons office to look into the issue. The Government has also said it will repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) under which several Tamils were arrested by the former Government over suspected terrorism links, and replace it with a new law. President Sirisena said that the people in the war affected North cannot be kept happy simply by infrastructure development but by winning their hearts.