Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review: War Crimes must take Centre Stage

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers53%5Cpaper5207.html

Paper no. 5207

11-Sept-2012

Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review: War Crimes must take Centre Stage Guest Column by Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah The issue that must take centre stage at Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) scheduled for 1st November 2012 should be the question of Sri Lanka’s accountability for War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity, bearing in mind the period under review is from 2008 to 2012, covering the critical period before, during and after the war in Sri Lanka. The major players involved in Sri Lanka’s review process must be ready to meet the issue head on. In the light of Sri Lanka’s pathetic ‘National Report’ submitted for the UPR, it is imperative that Sri Lanka’s UPR includes a serious debate on the question of War Crimes that took place in Sri Lanka in the set period under review. This notwithstanding the resolution passed at the 19th session now proven with hindsight to be woefully inadequate in addressing the issue of accountability for War Crimes, for nowhere in the ‘National Report’ has Sri Lanka come up with a substantial and precise action plan to address the issue of accountability or the establishment of a credible domestic mechanism to investigate senior military and political leaders for War Crimes.