HRW calls on Lanka to accomplish UNHRC commitments

Global rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfill its commitments to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) by ensuring that foreign judges and prosecutors play a significant role in the mandated accountability mechanism for wartime abuses.

President Maithripala Sirisena said he will not agree to the international involvement as Sri Lanka has more than enough specialists, experts and knowledgeable people to solve our internal issues,reports the Lanka Page web site.

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The HRW, however, stressed that Human Rights Council members and observer countries that backed the consensus in October 2015 resolution should make clear that foreign participation in a war crimes tribunal was already decided by the council and is not subject to renegotiation.

The Council pointed out that President Sirisena needs to understand that international participation in a war crimes tribunal was not a vague promise to the UN but a firm commitment to the thousands of Sri Lankans who suffered during the country's long civil war.

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The 2015 Human Rights Council resolution affirmed the importance of participation in a justice mechanism of 'Commonwealth, foreign judges and authorized prosecutors and investigators'.