Father of Disappeared Man Denounces Ongoing #EndEnforcedDisappearance Campaign as ‘Empty Words’
A dad whose son was taken seven years ago says the #EndEnforcedDisappearance tag just looks good. He calls it a trick by leaders who don’t really care. August 30 is the day the world marks missing people. He says families get nothing but empty posts.
“They wave signs, talk to reporters, post online — but ask for real facts and they shut you out,” he wrote. “Hashtags don’t bring my boy home. Where are the men who took him?”
Each August 30 the world calls out forced disappearances. These are people grabbed by cops or soldiers who then lie about it. The UN says over 166,000 cases are still open worldwide.
“We don’t need more posts. We need cops to search, jails to open, and names of the guilty,” he said.
Forced disappearances happen when cops or soldiers grab someone and refuse to admit it. The victim is cut off from the law. It’s used to scare reporters, activists, and critics. Many countries still do it.
Groups like Human Rights Law Centre say laws exist but no one follows them. One lawyer there said, “The rulebook is clear: cops must hunt, charge, and jail the guilty.” Many nations signed the rules but still treat forced loss as “their own business.”
In South Asia and Latin America families wait years for answers. They get told to stop asking or face trouble. “This crime doesn’t end when they grab you,” the lawyer said. “Every day the state stays quiet, the hurt stays fresh.”
Sri Lanka, Mexico, and the Philippines keep getting called out. In 2023 the UN listed 1,000 missing people in Mexico. Most ties to gangs or crooked cops.
A local writer said, “When the government hides people, the whole system hides the truth. Families get called liars. Witnesses get threats. Files vanish. Then the world looks the other way.”
She added that support online helps a little. It doesn’t push cops to open cases or let outsiders check the jails.
On August 30 at least 30 cities held vigils. Families held candles and pictures. Many chanted the same line seen on every feed: “Truth never disappears.”
For those still waiting, time brings no answers — just more pain.