UN panel will also investigate LTTE actions - Darusman
June 24, 2010 02:23 pm
A UN panel that will investigate allegations of human rights
violations in
The UN has formed the three-member panel to investigate allegations of war
crimes and report back to the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Marzuki Darusman has been appointed to lead the investigation and says he will
also look into the actions of the rebels during the final months of the civil
war.
“This [investigation] would then cover - without any distinction - acts that
were committed in the course of that conflict,” Mr Darusman told Radio
After a three decade civil war, the Tamil Tigers were militarily defeated by
government forces in May last year.
This UN panel will investigate allegations that thousands of civilians were
killed in the final months of the conflict and that rebels troops trying to
surrender were executed.
The panel’s head, Mr Darusman, is a former attorney general of
The other members are Yasmin Sooka, the director of a human rights organisation
in
The formation of the panel has been met with anger from the Sri Lankan
government, which accused the UN of having a “hidden agenda” in sending
investigators.
This week a UN spokesman described the panel as having a mostly consultative
role, and that “primary responsibility for investigating rests with the
government of
But Marzuki Darusman has made it clear that the panel would act independently
of the government.
“Any relations or connections with the Sri Lankan government will have to be
done through the [UN] Secretary General’s office,” said Mr Darusman.
He added that the panel is also independent of any nation.
Mr Darusman would not speculate on whether the panel is likely to recommend a
war crimes tribunal be established to further investigate the right violations,
but said the human rights and legal backgrounds of the panel members indicate
the direction the investigation will take.
“We can’t foreclose any possibility of going as far as what would be feasible,
possible.”
The UN panel will convene soon in