(May 15, Geneva, Sri Lanka Guardian) United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay supports an independent inquiry into the violence in Sri Lanka as evidence mounts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, her spokesman said on Friday.
Rupert Colville told a news briefing in Geneva that the U.N. high commissioner for human rights backs international calls for an investigation of abuses in the conflict that has pushed the Indian Ocean island into humanitarian crisis.
"We agree that something of that sort is now essential. There has to be accountability for what has gone in Sri Lanka, there has to be clarity, there cannot be impunity," he said.
Pillay two months ago expressed concern that war crimes and crimes against humanity may have been committed in the conflict, by both government forces and the LTTE Tamil Tigers fighting for an independent homeland.
"Nothing we've seen since then has caused us to change our minds. Quite the contrary," her spokesman said.
Thousands more civilians are believed to have been killed or injured and heavy shelling of civilian areas has also continued, Colville said, also raising concerns about reports of the LTTE forcing people to stay in the conflict zone and shooting at or killing those trying to escape.
Moves are afoot in the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council to hold a special session on Sri Lanka, but so far the proposal has not gathered the 16 votes necessary.
Of 10 special sessions held by the Geneva-based Council since it was set up in 2006, five have covered Israel and its alleged human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon, and one each examined the financial crisis, Congo, the food crisis, Myanmar and Darfur.
Home Unlabelled U.N. rights chief backs calls for Sri Lanka inquiry
U.N. rights chief backs calls for Sri Lanka inquiry
By Sri Lanka Guardian • May 15, 2009 • • Comments : 1
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It is also time that the citizens of the world demand accountability from people like Pillai. Organisations such as the UN, HRW, AI and other major players in the Victim Industry must be held accountable for all the shady dealings they have done to cripple the democratically elected government in Sri Lanka and others elsewhere. These people should not allowed to hide behind the holy grail of humanitarian concerns and they should not be allowed to play God.
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