Britain today welcomed the appointment of a UN-selected panel to investigate into the alleged war crimes during the last seven years of Sri Lanka’s conflict and called on the Sri Lankan government to cooperate.
“I welcome Navi Pillay’s announcement on the appointment of experts to the Sri Lanka investigation established by the March Human Rights Council. The UK has always supported calls for this investigation and played a key role in securing it,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement on Thursday.
“This investigation is an important step in establishing the truth and facilitating reconciliation within Sri Lanka,” he said, adding, that the inclusion of Martti Artisaahri, Silvia Cartwright and Asma Jahangir completes “a strong team with a clear mandate” from the UN Human Rights Council.
“I strongly urge the government of Sri Lanka to cooperate fully with the Office of the High Commissioner and this investigation and to ensure those engaging with the investigation can do so without fear of intimidation or reprisals.”
“I also continue to urge the government of Sri Lanka to take meaningful, concrete steps to implement fully the actions called for in the March 2014 Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, the recommendations of its Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and to address fully concerns related to political settlement, reconciliation, justice and accountability, both present day and from the period of the armed conflict.”
He also insisted that the British government stood ready to assist Sri Lanka in its reconciliation process.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay on Wednesday announced the names of the three distinguished experts who have agreed to advise and support the team to conduct a comprehensive investigation of alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka.
Former President of Finland and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Martti Ahtisaari, Dame Silvia Cartwright, former governor-general and High Court judge of New Zealand and Asma Jahangir, former president of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association and of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan are the three experts appointed to the team.
The experts will play a supportive and advisory role, providing advice and guidance as well as independent verification throughout the investigation.
The Sri Lankan government has already rejected the proposed investigation and refused to allow them visa to enter the country to carry out the probe.
