Photo: Journalist Kumanan Kanapathipillai, at an event organised by the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research (ACPR). Published with permission.

Originally published in Groundviews — 16 April 2026

Enforced disappearance is not simply a crime of the past. It continues for as long as the fate of a disappeared person remains unresolved. In this article, I reflect on the continuing struggle of the families of the disappeared in Sri Lanka, their search for justice, and the responsibility of society to ensure that their struggle is not forgotten.

The piece was prompted by The Shriek of Silence, an event organised by the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, which explored the collective responsibility of society in seeking justice for those affected by enforced disappearances. I reflect particularly on the exhaustion faced by families who have spent years demanding answers, while broader social and political support for their struggle remains limited.

The article also looks at the continuing nature of enforced disappearance as a crime and asks a broader question: who will carry the struggle forward when the families who have led it for years are no longer able to do so?

Originally published in: Groundviews
Date: 16 April 2026

Read the original article on Groundviews →