UN rights chief should decide on SL report delay: US

14 February 2015 05:18 am Views - 3998

The US says it is up to the UN human rights commissioner to determine when a UN report on alleged war crimes committed during Sri Lanka's civil conflict is released.

Sri Lanka is requesting a delay in the report's publication for several months, while it sets up its own judicial mechanism to probe rights violations during the war that ended in 2009.

The UN investigation, mandated by a US-backed resolution last year, was discussed Thursday by Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Samaraweera amid warming ties between the US and Sri Lanka's newly elected government.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Friday that the US has ``absolute confidence'' in the UN commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in this matter.

Samaraweera expressed optimism Thursday in the report being delayed. (The Economic Times)