UK, US welcome Expert Panel report on Sri Lanka

The United Kingdom, emulating the United States, has welcomed the report submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General by the Panel of Experts appointed by him to probe Sri Lanka’s accountability during the last stages of the armed conflict against Tamil Tiger terrorists.

Issuing a statement Wednesday, the UK Foreign Office welcomed the Panel report on the alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the military conflict in Sri Lanka and urged Sri Lanka to follow the report’s recommendations to achieve lasting reconciliation.

“The UK has consistently called for an independent and credible investigation to address these allegations which is why we fully supported the decision of the Secretary-General to establish the Panel of Experts,” the statement said.

The Foreign Office says the report sets out the importance of a genuine and independent investigation, so that allegations of abuses are seen to have been addressed.

“We encourage Sri Lanka to use its response to the UN report and the report’s recommendations to strengthen the process of accountability and support lasting peace and security,” the Foreign Office said.

“The serious nature of the allegations in the report underline that these allegations, and the issue of accountability for them, must be resolved before a lasting reconciliation can be achieved in Sri Lanka,” it added.

Welcoming the public release of the Expert Panel report immediately after its release on Monday by the UN Secretary-General, Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN expressed appreciation to the Panel for its extensive work on the alleged violations of humanitarian laws by Sri Lanka.

“We appreciate the detailed and extensive work of the panel and believe it makes a valuable contribution to the next steps that should be taken in support of justice, accountability, human rights, and reconciliation in Sri Lanka,” Rice said in a statement.

Commending the Secretary-General for his decision to release the report publicly, the statement said the U.S. “has been at the forefront of efforts to support an effective, transparent post-conflict reconciliation process in Sri Lanka that includes accountability for violations by all parties.”

Sri Lanka urged the UN not to release the report publicly saying that it would irreparably damage the ongoing reconciliation process and nullify their efforts taken to earn the fragile peace now prevailing in the country.

The United States said the report has underscored the need for an independent and full accounting of the facts in order to ensure that allegations of abuse are addressed and impunity for human rights violations is avoided.

“We strongly support the Secretary General’s call for the Sri Lankan authorities to respond constructively to the report and underscore our belief that accountability and reconciliation are inextricably linked,” Rice said in her statement.

The Sri Lankan government has refused to admit the legality of the UN report questioning the authority of the UN Secretary-General to appoint a panel on his own without a mandate from a governing body such as the UN general Assembly or the Security Council.

Sri Lanka, calling the report of the three-member Expert Panel led by the former Attorney General of Indonesia Marzuki Darusman as “Darusman Report”, said the report is “fundamentally flawed” and “based on patently biased material which is presented without any verification.”

The Sri Lankan government said the decision to publicly release the report is divisive, disrupts the efforts to reinforce peace, security, and stability in the country, and feeds into the political agendas of interested parties.