Lanka promises due attention to UN war crimes report

AFP, COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s government vowed Wednesday to pay “due attention” to a damning UN report on war crimes in the country, but stopped short of agreeing to an internationally backed investigation.
The government told UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein it was open to dialogue with his office, following the release of the long-awaited report that held both security forces and rebels responsible for war crimes. Speaking in Geneva earlier in the day, Zeid said Sri Lanka needed international help to address the “horrific level of violations and abuses” during its decades-long separatist war that ended in May 2009.
“(Sri Lanka) takes note also of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka... and will ensure that its contents as well as recommendations receive due attention of the authorities,” the government said in a response to the 261-page report. It promised to “ensure dialogue with all stakeholders especially the victims of conflict” as well as communities, international organisations and others “with the aim of achieving reconciliation and durable peace”.
However, Colombo did not say whether it would follow the UN’s key recommendation: that it allow international experts to assist its domestic investigation, a move resisted by previous Sri Lankan governments. President Maithripala Sirisena came to power in January promising reconciliation between majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils and accountability for atrocities in the conflict, in which 100,000 people died before the Tamil Tigers were crushed.

Lanka promises due attention to UN war crimes report

AFP, COLOMBO: Sri Lankas government vowed Wednesday to pay due attention to a damning UN report on war crimes in the country, but stopped short of agreeing to an internationally backed investigation. The government told UN rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein it was open to dialogue with his office, following the release of the long-awaited report that held both security forces and rebels responsible for war crimes. Speaking in Geneva earlier in the day, Zeid said Sri Lanka needed international help to address the horrific level of violations and abuses during its decades-long separatist war that ended in May 2009. (Sri Lanka) takes note also of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka... and will ensure that its contents as well as recommendations receive due attention of the authorities, the government said in a response to the 261-page report. It promised to ensure dialogue with all stakeholders especially the victims of conflict as well as communities, international organisations and others with the aim of achieving reconciliation and durable peace. However, Colombo did not say whether it would follow the UNs key recommendation: that it allow international experts to assist its domestic investigation, a move resisted by previous Sri Lankan governments. President Maithripala Sirisena came to power in January promising reconciliation between majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils and accountability for atrocities in the conflict, in which 100,000 people died before the Tamil Tigers were crushed.