The memorial for the disappeared at Raddoluwa Junction, Seeduwa in Gampaha district is a significant landmark in Sri Lanka’s history of transitional justice. It was established in 1990, 34 years ago. Since October 27, 1991, annual commemorations have been held at this memorial by the families of those who disappeared during the 1989 Insurrection and the 30-year civil war.

On October 27, 1990, H.M. Ranjith, a worker at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, was abducted by the police, detained at Seeduwa Police Station, and the next day, killed and burned at Raddoluwa Junction. Ranjith, who had been under suspension, had visited his workplace with labour law advisor Lionel for a disciplinary inquiry and was abducted on his way back around 5 PM in the Katunayake 18th Mile Post area. Eleven workers from the Free Trade Zone were similarly killed or disappeared.

Ranjith’s fiancée, Jayanthi Dandeniya, spearheaded the search for him, supported by social activists like Brito Fernando, Father Sarath Iddamalgoda, Sister Christine, and Philip Dissanayake, along with several organizations advocating against killings and disappearances. Later, Jayanthi and others established the Free Trade Zone Workers’ Union and launched the publication Niveka to voice their demands, including justice for the murdered and disappeared workers. The Organization of Families of the Disappeared was also founded through these efforts. The annual commemoration held at the location where Ranjith and Lionel were killed began as part of this movement.

With the support of the Asian Human Rights Center and other organizations, a memorial plaque was constructed at this location. The construction began on December 10, 1999, and it was inaugurated on February 4, 2000.

“This is the first memorial in Sri Lanka built to commemorate those forcibly disappeared and killed. People from every district in the country come here to remember their missing loved ones and lay flowers in their honor,” said Jayanthi Dandeniya.

The memorial was designed voluntarily by Professor Chandragupta Thenuwara, a renowned artist and sculptor and now a professor at the University of Visual and Performing Arts. Students of the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts also contributed to this monument. During the 34th annual commemoration of the disappeared in 2024, Professor Thenuwara expressed the following views:

“This memorial represents the void left by a disappeared person. The wall of tears behind it holds the images of some of the disappeared we could trace. However, it remains incomplete because many images of the disappeared persons could not be found. Over 1,000 people disappeared during that period in the Gampaha District alone. This memorial has no government association; it is preserved by the people. Families of the disappeared from across the country gather here, making it a collective memorial. The message this memorial deliver is clear: enforced disappearances must end. Truth about the disappeared must be revealed, and justice must be served. The disappeared are still seeking a place to rest, and it is our duty to provide them that. While efforts toward truth, justice, and accountability are underway, more progress is needed.”

Human rights activist Sunanda Deshapriya emphasized, “Commemoration is an essential element of human life. Generations of people in our society live without knowing the fate of their disappeared relatives or having the opportunity to perform final rites. Among the disappeared are militants as well as members of the military and police. Revealing the truth and ensuring justice for them is a responsibility of the government. Disappearances must stop. This memorial and its commemorations send a strong message to the nation and the world.”

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the newly elected 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka, has personal connections to this issue, as his childhood best friend disappeared. This has inspired hope that the current government will take necessary steps toward delivering justice for the disappeared and ending enforced disappearances.

“Enforced disappearances are a crime against humanity. We will ensure it never happens again,” reads an inscription on the stone at the memorial for the disappeared at Raddoluwa Junction.