The United States today called on the Sri Lankan Government to “seek the truth” by investigating alleged rights abuses by security forces, after a top envoy completed a fact-finding mission to the island.

U.S. State Department war crimes investigator Stephen Rapp “listened to eyewitness accounts about serious human rights abuses” during his five-day mission to the island that ended on Saturday, the U.S. embassy in Colombo said.

“During ambassador Rapp’s discussions, he listened to eyewitness accounts about serious human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including those that occurred at the end of the war,” the embassy said in a statement.

“In that context the government of the U.S. encourages the government of Sri Lanka to seek the truth through independent and credible investigations, and where relevant, have prosecutions,” it said.

The Ambassador-at-Large in the US Office of Global Criminal Justice visited Sri Lanka from January 6-11 to meet with government and political leaders, civil society, and to tour former conflict zones. 

“He heard about the progress made since the conflict, but also the Sri Lankan people’s continuing desire for reconciliation, justice and accountability,” it said.

During the visit, the embassy sparked fury within the Sri Lankan government by tweeting that army shelling killed hundreds of families in January 2009, the final stages of Sri Lanka’s war against Tamil rebels.

A senior Sri Lankan foreign ministry official said the comments were discussed when Rapp called on Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris on Friday but neither side gave details of the meeting.

The foreign ministry official said Colombo believed the U.S. comments were aimed at laying the ground for renewed condemnation of Sri Lanka at the March U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva.

“The United States remains committed to working with the Government of Sri Lanka to promote greater peace and prosperity for all of the people of Sri Lanka.”

“It is vital that all sides come to an agreement on events, have appropriate redress, and move forward as a unified country that upholds the rule of law and respects the principles of democratic governance,” the statement further said.

- With inputs from AFP