The government has expedited investigations into missing persons while strengthening the institutions responsible for handling such cases, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament today.

Responding to a question raised by MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, the Minister said the government had provided additional financial and human resources to the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for Reparations (OR), and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) that are responsible for addressing cases involving persons who went missing or disappeared in connection with the conflict, political unrest, civil disturbances, or alleged enforced disappearances. Minister Herath said the institutions had been rendered largely inactive in the past. However, following the change of government, steps were taken to strengthen their operations by allocating the necessary financial and human resources.

He added that the government had also expanded the provincial offices of these institutions to improve their reach and facilitate investigations into missing persons across the country.