COLOMBO: Britain’s David Cameron put Sri Lanka on notice yesterday to address allegations of war crimes within months or else he would lead a push for action at the UN.
Speaking at a troubled Commonwealth summit in Colombo, the British premier warned his host, President Mahinda Rajapakse, that pressure over alleged abuses at the end of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict was not about to go away.
But Rajapakse responded by insisting that Sri Lanka should be trusted to conduct its own inquiries, telling his critics: “People in glass houses mustn’t throw stones.”
Cameron, who made an historic visit to the former war zone on Friday, also told of how he had “frank” exchanges with Rajapakse on his return.
“The Sri Lankan government needs to go further and faster on human rights and reconciliation,” he told a press conference.
“Ultimately all this is about reconciliation and closure and healing to this country, which now has the chance, if it takes it, of a much brighter future but that will only happen by dealing with these issues and not ignoring them.
“I’m hugely optimistic about the country’s future. The message I have is that this issue will not go away and needs to be pursued vigorously.” The UN and rights group say as many as 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the final stages of the war in May 2009 when Tamil Tiger rebels were crushed by government troops.
However Rajapakse has denied any civilians were killed and has also blocked all calls for an independent probe into claims of war crimes committed by government forces against the Tamil population in the Jaffna region.
Cameron said Rajapakse wanted more time to address the claims but told him to deliver by March or else he would push for an international investigation through UN human rights bodies.
“Let me be very clear, if an investigation is not completed by March, then I will use our position on the UN Human Rights Council to work with the UN Human Rights Commission and call for a full, credible and independent international inquiry.”
Rajapakse later told reporters that Cameron was welcome to his view but added Sri Lanka must be allowed to complete its own investigation in its own time.
“They have to trust us,” he said.
“Pressure won’t do anything. ... It’s much better to wait rather than demand or dictate.”
“We will take our own time and investigate, you must wait,” he added.
AFP
