COLOMBO: The United Nations would support a “credible domestic process” that meets international standards for war crimes investigation by the Sri Lankan government, Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said on Tuesday.

The UN Human Rights Commission has asked the Sri Lankan government to set in motion a credible domestic mechanism by September to investigate charges of human rights violations and war crimes committed during the last phase of the Tamil insurgency.

A strong anti-Lankan resolution, which was to be presented this month at the UN, was shelved because the US and the High Commissioner for Human Rights felt that the newly elected president, Maithripala Sirisena, needed more time to start a comprehensive reconciliation and accountability process.

Jeffrey Feltman, the UN official, drew Colombo’s attention to the “wide trust deficit” that exists between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils.

“Without question, there is still a wide trust deficit between communities in Sri Lanka, especially between Tamils and Sinhalese.

“We have encouraged Lankan leaders and political stakeholders to work on all of these issues in the spirit of inclusion and consultation,” Feltman told media on Tuesday at the conclusion of his visit to the country.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2015

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