US urges Sri Lanka to investigate alleged war crimes

Sep 14, 2011, 11:28 GMT

Colombo - A senior US diplomat Wednesday urged Sri Lanka to probe allegations of war crimes committed during the final stages of military operations to defeat the Tamil rebels in 2009.

Robert Blake, assistant US secretary of state, ended a three-day visit saying he hoped a government commission would probe the allegations raised in a UN report.

The report accusing the military and rebels of war crimes was submitted to the UN Human Rights Council this week in Geneva.

The government has set up reconciliation commission to produce a report on the last eight years of the 26-year conflict.

'We hope that the report will address the allegations raised in the panel of experts' report,' Blake said.

He said reconciliation should include accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.

Sri Lanka has repeatedly resisted any international investigation.

Human rights groups argue that the government panel's mandate falls short of carrying out a full and impartial investigation.

The UN report said there was credible evidence of war crimes committed by the security forces and rebels.

The senior leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were all killed in the final days of the war.