Sri Lanka’s new government to discuss fresh war crimes probe with UN
The United Nations has long sought to investigate human rights abuses during Sri Lanka's civil war but had faced opposition from previous leader Mahinda Rajapaksa
Sri Lanka’s newly-elected government will next month look to win United Nations backing for a domestic probe into alleged war crimes under former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, an official said on Saturday.
The investigation, which the new administration had promised after winning January elections, comes after the previous regime resisted a UN probe into claims that up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed under Rajapaksa’s command in the final months of a war that ended in May 2009.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera will travel to Geneva next month to meet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It gave no details, but an official told reporters the new Sri Lankan administration was keen to get his backing for the investigation.
“Minister Samaraweera wants to brief the Human Rights Council about the new steps that Sri Lanka wishes to take,” an official said, asking not to be named.
“Sri Lanka is looking for about two months to establish a new [domestic] mechanism.”
The government has pledged a credible, independent investigation that may draw on foreign expertise and experience.