The Guardian has stated that the United Nations Human Rights Council must adopt "a much tougher resolution on Sri Lanka" in the coming weeks, declaring that Sri Lanka has failed to deliver action on the question of accountability for war crimes.
Stating that Sri Lanka "should not be allowed to get away with it any longer", the editorial also went on to say that Commonwealh states should "reconsider the Colombo venue" for this years Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting.
See the full editorial here. Extracts have been reproduced below.
"After the showing of the documentary No Fire Zone in the Palais des Nations in Geneva yesterday, the Sri Lankan ambassador denounced it and criticised the UN human rights council for permitting the event to take place in a United Nations building. His speech was received in complete silence by a gathering which included a number of diplomats who are in Geneva to take part in the current session of the council, which is due to discuss Sri Lanka's human rights record. That silence, Sri Lanka's critics would say, was an eloquent one."
"It is not only the conduct of the war that is at issue... Instead of demilitarising the north, the army is still dominant there. And instead of accepting criticism and dissent, it has suppressed both. The conclusion must be that it is a nonsense to hand the country starry international roles, such as the hosting of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting later this year."
"A much tougher resolution on Sri Lanka should come out of the UN human rights council's session in the next few weeks, and that should be followed by a readiness among Commonwealth states to reconsider the Colombo venue. The Sri Lankan government has been masterly in defusing criticism by promising action but then failing to deliver. It should not be allowed to get away with it any longer."
