Sri Lanka risks forced war crimes probe, US warns

by admin
Feb 28, 2011

Sri Lanka could be hauled before a war crimes tribunal over the killing of “many thousands of civilians” in the final months in 2009 of its armed conflict.

The warning by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Robert Blake, came in an interview with AFP Monday.

See AFP’s report here.

It was “preferable” for Sri Lanka to have its own investigation in line with internationally accepted human rights standards, rather than face an external inquiry, Mr. Blake said.

"[However] it's important to say that if Sri Lanka is not willing to meet international standards regarding these matters, there would be pressure to appoint an international commission to look into these things,” he said.

The UN security council's unanimous decision against Libya over the weekend underscored the resolve of the international community regarding crimes against humanity, he added.

See the extracts from the UNSC resolution here, and UK's comments here.

Reconciliation, accountability and human rights were among the key elements the US wanted to see to normalise ties with Sri Lanka, Mr. Blake added.

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