The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has adopted a resolution sponsored by nearly 40 nations by a vote of 23 for, 12 against, and 12 abstaining calling for a comprehensive investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) into various war crimes committed between 2002-2009 in the civil war of Sri Lanka. The international investigatory mechanism used will be up to the OHCHR and all options are possible by interpreting the mandate and looking at past precedents. After 5 years of delay since the end of the war and continued efforts by the victims and families, this sends a clear message that the current government of Sri Lanka has not delivered this justice as expected by the international community so justice cannot be delayed any further and the calls for justice will never vanish. Last minute efforts to avoid an international investigation by the OHCHR were put forth in motions by Pakistan and voted upon as well where nations such as India who abstained on the full resolution voted against changing the terms of an international investigation on operative paragraph 10 of the resolution. These motions essentially failed. The resolution calls for the OHCHR to report back later this year on progress of any national processes it is responsible for now overseeing which it has already deemed not credible and also for its own investigation with a comprehensive report by this time next year. It is also responsible for reporting back on implementation of the 13th amendment included in the resolution where India has called for Sri Lanka to go beyond it for a political solution. If it does not do this, other options for the Tamils may need to be examined. The process towards justice for the tens of thousands who perished in tens of days which has been termed by the legal community as genocide as no legal scholar has termed it otherwise, has been put forth in motion and there is no turning back on where this will lead us in terms of reconciliation, political solutions, and ultimately remedial justice for the victims. The international community has sent the message that it stands with the victims of these various war crimes and will continue to do so until justice including remedy is delivered. That terms of that message is what I continue to work for as well.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:05:47 +0000
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