The call by the Committee on the Missing came at a meeting it had with the delegation at the UN office in Colombo yesterday (09).
Secretary of the committee Sundaram Mahendran said they told the UNWGEID to pressurize the government to fulfill its promises to investigate war crimes and forced disappearances.
They also wanted the UN to get directly involved in legal action with regard to cases of established forced disappearances.
The UN delegation will tour the north, east, Galle and Matale and will conclude their 10-day visit with a media briefing.
AI call for cooperation
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called on the Sri Lankan government to fully cooperate with the UNWGEID.
Issuing a statement, the AI said the group's visit will raise the hopes of thousands of families of the disappeared that with the UN's help they may finally discover the fates and whereabouts of their missing relatives and have the opportunity to pursue justice and reparation.
AI called on the UNWGEID to seek out and listen carefully to the views of family members of the disappeared.
"It should acknowledge the significant challenges to accountability that persist in Sri Lanka and clearly articulate its own limitations as well. The Government of Sri Lanka should facilitate these exchanges and direct all officials to cooperate fully with the delegates," AI statement said.
The AI called on the UN group to inform the public about the progress of investigation into the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, and disappearances of political activists Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan, among others.
