Sri Lanka rejects call for probe into 'war crimes'

The Sri Lankan government Thursday rejected a call for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes when the military crushed the Tamil Tigers.

Sri Lanka is ready to face a third resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Xinhua cited media reports as saying.

UN Human Rights official Navi Pillay has sent a copy of the report of her fact-finding mission in Sri Lanka last year to the government ahead of the US-sponsored resolution being presented before the UNHRC.

Pillay has made a string of recommendations to improve reconciliation and human rights scenario in Sri Lanka.

This include renewed calls for an inquiry into allegations of civilian deaths during the last phase of the war that destroyed the Tamil Tigers in May 2009.

Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and other government envoys have been lobbying extensively to drum up support for Colombo ahead of the UNHRC meeting in Geneva next month.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has visited Saudi Arabia to seek support. China has expressed backing to Colombo following a visit by Peiris last week.

The Sri Lankan military has been widely accused of killing thousands of innocent Tamils during the final stages of the prolonged conflict that vanquished the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).