Zeid urges creation of hybrid special court in Sri Lanka (Full Report)

The report had initially been scheduled to be published in March, but United Nations rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had recommended it be delayed for six months to give the country’s new government a chance to cooperate with investigators. Senior officials in the Sri Lankan army and government have previously been accused of responsibility for very serious rights abuses, as have leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an extremist organisation with a long record of violence against civilians, including other Tamils.

The report’s strongest recommendation is the creation of an worldwide court, composed of both Sri Lankan and foreign experts, to investigate crimes against humanity that occurred during the war, including the recruitment of child soldiers, indiscriminate killing, and widespread, systemic sexual violence.

Despite promises to pursue accountability, Sri Lanka’s new government, elected last month, would be reluctant to hold war crimes trials, correspondents say. However, he cautioned that details remain to be worked out, such as the extent of the global role in the hybrid court.

“It has to be a court that meets the expectations of victims and the worldwide community alike”, he said.

Wednesday’s report said there appears to be sufficient evidence of extrajudicial killings of Tamil fighters.

The seven investigators behind the report were not allowed into Sri Lanka but based their findings on interviews with victims and witnesses, video footage, photos, satellite images and other sources.

“Remains open to continuing its engagement with the High Commissioner and his Office as well as the systems and procedures of the Human Rights Council, aimed at taking steps to safeguard and uphold the human rights of all her citizens”, the government said.

The government also appreciated the due recognition given to the Government’s constructive engagement with the High Commissioner and OHCHR aimed at addressing post-conflict issues that impact on achieving reconciliation and assured that it will take every possible measure to ensure non recurrence. It also said there are grounds to believe Tamil fighters killed Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese civilians who did not support the group, and put military fortifications next to civilian areas that exposed people nearby to danger.

Meanwhile Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera announced the launch of a truth and reconciliation commission modeled partly on one in post-apartheid South Africa. The UNHRC conducted its own global investigation on the alleged war crimes as then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government resisted it claiming the probe was an attack on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.