Stephen J. Rapp, the US Ambassador on War Crimes, will visit the North today and meet Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran in Jaffna, Daily Mirror learns. 

 

Mr. Rapp heads the Office of Global Criminal Justice at the US State Department. He advises the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights on issues related to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. 
 

A US Embassy spokesman said Mr. Rapp would hold talks with a broad cross section of government officials, political leaders and civil society activists during his visit to Sri Lanka. 
 

External Affairs Ministry sources said he would meet External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris either on Friday or Saturday. The minister is currently in the Middle East with President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is on a state visit there.  
 

Mr. Rapp is expected to meet the commanders of the security forces and civil society activists including Dr. Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu, and representatives of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).  A meeting has also been sought with the main opposition United National Party (UNP). 
 

Mr. Rapps’ official website says, “To this end, the office advises US Government and foreign governments on the appropriate use of a wide range of transitional justice mechanisms, including truth and reconciliation commissions and reparations in addition to judicial processes.
 

The office also coordinates the US Government stance on international and hybrid courts currently prosecuting persons responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity – not only for such crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia – but also in Kenya, Libya, Côte d'Ivoire, Guatemala, and elsewhere in the world.(Kelum Bandara)