Japan backs UN war crimes probe into Sri Lanka war
June 20, 2010 08:44 pm
A visiting Japanese envoy said Sunday his country backed
efforts by the United Nations to investigate alleged war crimes committed in
Yasushi Akashi, whose country is a major donor to
His remarks followed an announcement by the UN that a panel
would be named this week to advise Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on accountability
in
The panel is seen as a precursor to a full war crimes probe into the last months of the conflict, when government troops finally defeated the Tamil Tiger separatist rebels in May 2009 after decades of bloodshed.
The UN has said that at least 7,000 civilians were killed in the first four months of fighting last year.
The war ended when the military killed the leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which had been fighting for independence since 1972.
“The government listened to what I said. (But) I feel there
is a lack of flexibility and openness,”
He said Ban’s upcoming panel “would be useful”, although
"It (the UN) could provide experiences and insights.
The purpose of it is not to interfere with
He urged