31 March 2014
UN Human Rights Council votes for international inquiry into war crimes in Sri Lanka
On 27 March 2014 the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution that intends to launch an international inquiry into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed by the Sri Lankan government as well as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the country’s 25-year civil war that ended in 2009.
According to Paula Schriefer, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, ‘the international community has become increasingly concerned by the continued lack of progress in achieving reconciliation, justice and accountability for serious allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.’ Before the vote, Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Ravintha Aryasinha, stated that ‘Sri Lanka categorically and unreservedly rejects this draft resolution as it challenges the sovereignty and independence of a member state of the UN (…) and is inimical to the interests of the people of Sri Lanka.’
Source: UN News Centre | UN rights council approves inquiry into alleged abuses in Sri Lanka war
Source: The Guardian | UN takes step towards Sri Lanka war crimes inquiry