Human rights groups snub Sri Lanka war crime inquiry
International human rights groups have refused to appear before a Sri Lankan inquiry into the end of the country's civil war, saying the procedure is flawed and lacks credibility.
They say the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) does not meet international standards.
But the commission, appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, says it is a credible attempt for reconciliation.
Correspondents say the panel has no real mandate to investigate the truth.
The International Crisis Group (ICG), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Amnesty International (AI) have all refused to appear.
They argue that the commission is flawed because its members were appointed by the government, has no real mandate to investigate war crimes in the last stages of the conflict, lacks any mechanism to protect witnesses and falls short of minimum international standards of a commission of inquiry.
They all said they would welcome an opportunity to appear before a genuine effort on reconciliation and accountability
"Accountability for war crimes in Sri Lanka demands an independent international investigation," said Kenneth Roth, of Human Rights Watch....
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They say the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) does not meet international standards.
But the commission, appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, says it is a credible attempt for reconciliation.
Correspondents say the panel has no real mandate to investigate the truth.
The International Crisis Group (ICG), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Amnesty International (AI) have all refused to appear.
They argue that the commission is flawed because its members were appointed by the government, has no real mandate to investigate war crimes in the last stages of the conflict, lacks any mechanism to protect witnesses and falls short of minimum international standards of a commission of inquiry.
They all said they would welcome an opportunity to appear before a genuine effort on reconciliation and accountability
"Accountability for war crimes in Sri Lanka demands an independent international investigation," said Kenneth Roth, of Human Rights Watch....