A/HRC/13/31 Communications from the Working Group 517. The Working Group sent three urgent communications to the Government. The first one sent on 11 May 2009, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, concerned Sinnavan Stephen Sunthararaj, abducted in Colombo on 7 May 2009. The second one sent on 26 May 2009, jointly with six other special procedures mechanisms, concerned Thangamutha Sathiyamoorthy, Thurairaja Varatharajah and V. Shanmugarajah, three doctors who had been treating the sick and wounded in the conflict zone in North-Eastern Sri Lanka, who were last seen on 15 May 2009 at a holding area at Omanthai check point. The last communication, sent on 8 July 2009, concerned Joyashan Yogendran, abducted near his home in Batticaloa on 3 May 2009. 518. The Government provided information on the above-mentioned communications. Meetings 519. Representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka met with the Working Group at its eighty-seventh session to discuss developments connected to its outstanding cases. Request for a visit 520. On 16 October 2006, the Working Group requested an invitation to undertake a mission to Sri Lanka. The Government replied that it would not be possible to schedule a visit during the proposed dates, and that the interest of the Working Group would be given due consideration. A reminder letter was sent on 20 July 2009. No reply from the Government has yet been received. Total cases transmitted, clarified and outstanding 521. Since its establishment, the Working Group has transmitted 12,226 cases to the Government; of those, 40 cases have been clarified on the basis of information provided by sources, 6,535 cases have been clarified on the basis of information provided by the Government, and 5,651 remain outstanding. Observations 522. The Working Group remains gravely concerned at the number of reported cases of enforced disappearances in the country. The Working Group is alarmed that 100 cases were reported during 2009. 523. The Government of Sri Lanka has communicated extensively with the Working Group but many cases remain outstanding. Therefore, taking into consideration the change of circumstances in Sri Lanka, the Working Group would like to reiterate its request to conduct a mission to Sri Lanka as soon as possible. 524. The Working Group regrets that the Government has yet to report on the further implementation of the recommendations emanating from the Working Group visits in 1991, 1992 and 1999. 525. The Working Group reminds the Government of Sri Lanka of its obligations under the Declaration to “take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent and terminate acts of enforced disappearance in any territory under its jurisdiction” (art. 3). 526. The Working Group calls upon the Government to sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and accept the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32. GE.09-17704 107