Pillay calls on SL to cooperate with probe

7 June 2014 03:08 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 25 Bookmark

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UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay has called on the Sri Lankan government to consider cooperating with the probe on Sri Lanka led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

In a release copy of the opening statement due to be delivered by Pillay at the 26th UNHRC session on Tuesday, June 10, she has confirmed her office has ‘put in place a team that would be supported by several experts and Special Procedures mandate holders’ to conduct the comprehensive investigation on Sri Lanka mandated at the UNHRC in March.

She has noted the investigation will advance accountability and thus reconciliation and has thereby encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to ‘take the opportunity to cooperate with a credible truth-seeking process.’

She has also noted that although Sri Lanka celebrated its fifth anniversary since the end of the 26 year-long conflict, the scars created by terrorism and conflict are ‘yet to heal’.

The OHCHR led investigation on Sri Lanka to probe into serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties, was mandated through a US-backed resolution at the 25th UNHRC session held in March with 23 countries voting in favour. The 26th UNHRC session that commences on June 10 is scheduled to continue until June 27.(Lakna Paranamanna)