Geneva: The UN Human Rights Council Thursday adopted a US resolution on human rights violations in Sri Lanka during the war against the Tamil Tigers. India voted in favour.
[box]”For the second year in a row, the Council adopted a resolution on reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka,” said a press release from the Human Rights Watch.[/box]
The Human Rights Council “noted with concern” the failure by the Sri Lankan government to address serious allegations of violations, but stopped short of holding Sri Lanka accountable for that failure.
“The resolution was adopted by a clear majority of 25 votes in favour, including India, Sierra Leone and Brazil, and 13 against, including Pakistan, Venezuela, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand,” it said.
Human Rights Watch said that the council “failed to call for an independent, international investigation into war crimes and other serious human rights abuses committed by the LTTE and government forces during the last phase of the war, a step called for by Sri Lankan groups, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka”.
“An independent, international investigation is both essential and overdue to obtain justice for victims,” it added.
Sri Lanka has repeatedly denied killing Tamil civilians during its military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.
–IANS
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