Thursday, 6 March 2014 00:51
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South African Archbishop Emeritus and Nobel Laureate, Desmond Tutu has called on the UN Human Rights Council to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka.
In an open letter to the UNHRC, Tutu who is also member of The Elders, a grouping of global leaders striving to foster peace and human rights in the world, said the Council should use the March session this year to include a commitment to an independent international inquiry in the form of a CoI on Sri Lanka.
“Only this will help to put the country on the path to justice and reconciliation,” Tutu’s letter, which is also signed by several human rights activists and religious leaders said.
Tutu said the biggest issue facing Sri Lanka was what he called a “systematic lack of respect for the rights of its citizens, particularly – but not exclusively – its minority citizens.
“Post-conflict processes do take time, but what matters is getting on the right path. Nearly five years after the war ended, the situation appears to be getting worse, not better,” the letter said. (DB)
