UNHRC asks foreign judges to probe into Sri Lankan war, Sri Lanka supports resolution

Sri Lankan Judicial Mechanism will be formed to probe into all the violations of human rights
UNHRC asks foreign judges to probe into Sri Lankan war, Sri Lanka supports resolution
UNHRC asks foreign judges to probe into Sri Lankan war, Sri Lanka supports resolution
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In a surprise move by the United Nations Human Rights Council, it has recommended an investigation by foreign judges and prosecutors into the Sri Lanka war crimes against LTTE which is co-sponsored by Colombo.

The  resolution was passed on the same issue at the 30th session of the UNHRC, approved by its 47-members. It was mainly led by the US and UK and, surprisingly, supported by Sri Lanka.

Under the resolution, a ‘Sri Lankan Judicial Mechanism' will be formed to probe into all the violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law violations during war between LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government. It also allows punishment of those who were involved in the crimes and asks the new government to investigate all alleged attacks on  “individuals, groups, human rights defenders, journalists members of religious minority groups and other members of civil society“.

 “Sri Lanka is pleased to join as a co-sponsor of this resolution as a further manifestation of Sri Lanka's commitment to implement the provisions of the resolution. We are eager to commence wide-ranging consultations for this purpose as soon as possible to expand the ownership of its content by all stakeholders,“ Sri Lanka's ambassador in Geneva, Ravinatha Aryasinha said in his address to the Council just before the resolution was adopted. 

Sri Lanka has also agreed to review the Public Security Ordinance and the Prevention of Terrorism Act by removing the anti-terror law. 

Moreover, it has also agreed to sign the International Convention on the protection of All Persons Against Forced Disappearances. The Government has also decided to review the Witness Protection Act and remove any kind of discrepancies in it.

According to a UNHRC spokesperson as reported by The Times of India, there was no voting and there were no last-minute revisions in the text of the draft resolution titled “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka“.

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