EU urges Sri Lanka to implement LLRC recommendations promptly

Brussels: Just days ahead of a resolution to be tabled at the UN Human Rights Council against the country, the European Union (EU) today called on Sri Lanka to expeditiously act on the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Issuing a statement on Thursday through the High Representative, the EU said if implemented effectively, the LLRC recommendations can make a significant contribution to the process of national reconciliation.

The EU statement agreed with the view of the LLRC that the root cause of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka lay in the failure of successive Governments to address the genuine grievances of the Tamil people.

Pointing out that the genuine reconciliation among all groups and communities in the country is essential, the EU said justice and accountability for past events is required to achieve it.

The EU expressed regret that the LLRC has largely ignored the questions raised in the report by the Panel of Experts appointed by the UN Secretary-General.

It said that the LLRC has called for investigations into possible crimes committed by the regular forces as well as by the LTTE and called for Sri Lanka to pursue those.

The EU said it continues to encourage the Sri Lankan Government to engage with the UN Secretary-General and relevant UN bodies both on the LLRC report and the Experts Panel report. “Sri Lanka, as an active member of the international community, has an opportunity to present an implementation plan which shows the world that concrete and meaningful measures are effectively being taken towards genuine reconciliation,” the statement said.