Concerned over charges of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka: US

Mar 14, 2012 |

Washington

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Expressing concern over the new allegations of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, the United States has said it supported bringing to book all those responsible.

The US statement comes in the wake of surfacing of new charges against Sri Lankan troops, in particular a new video footage showing execution of a 12-year-old boy, purportedly son of slain LTTE leader Prabhakaran.

"As we've stated many, many times, we are deeply concerned about allegations of international human rights law and human rights violations in Sri Lanka."

"We support a full accounting of and accountability for anybody who is engaged in acts that violated human rights and humanitarian law," the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters at her daily news conference on Tuesday.

The video, however, has not been authenticated by the US. "With regard to the video that is circulating, that we obviously are not able to authenticate, with regard to the son of Prabhakaran," she said.

A proposed US-backed resolution calling on Sri Lanka to probe alleged abuses during the country's civil war is to be debated at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva. The 25-year war ended in 2009, with government troops defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels.

"That's why, with our partners, we are supporting a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that calls for action on important steps towards reconciliation and accountability while expressing the international community's concern about the delays in implementation," Nuland said.

"We are also encouraging the Government of Sri Lanka to communicate what it intends to do to implement the recommendations of the LLRC, which made its own recommendations way back in the fall," Nuland said in response to a question.

Ahead of the crucial vote in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, seeking to censure Sri Lanka on alleged war-time human rights violations, Amnesty International has also said that the world body must support an independent international investigation.

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