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| If Mohamed cannot go the mountain, the mountain will have to come to Mohamed. |
by Pearl Thevanayagam
(June 28, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Thirty years on, Khmer Rouge’s Pol Pot mass murderers (the ruling regime at the time) are standing trial in one of the most expensive and prolonged tribunals convened by the UN and democratic West against war crimes in Cambodia today.
An estimated 1.7 million Cambodians, almost a quarter of Cambodia & apos’s population were wiped out under in The Killing Fields revolution the ultra Maoist Pol Pot regime through torture, execution, starvation and exhaustion between 1975 and 1979. Practically every Cambodian alive today lost family members and the tribunal should give answers. Read More
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Taken Question
Question Taken at the June 27, 2011 Daily Press Briefing
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Sri Lanka: Accountability for Alleged Violations of International Human Rights Law (Taken Question)
Taken QuestionOffice of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
Question Taken at the June 27, 2011 Daily Press Briefing
June 28, 2011
Question: What is the U.S. view regarding accountability in Sri Lanka?
Answer: As we have stated before, the United States supports a full, credible, and independent investigation of alleged violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law and accountability for such violations. While domestic authorities have primary responsibility to ensure that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law are held accountable, international accountability mechanisms can become appropriate in circumstances in which a state is unable or unwilling to meet its obligations. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to quickly demonstrate that it is able and willing to meet these obligations as it seeks reconciliation. We hope the Sri Lankans will themselves do this, but if they do not, there will be growing pressure from the international community to examine other options.
Answer: As we have stated before, the United States supports a full, credible, and independent investigation of alleged violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law and accountability for such violations. While domestic authorities have primary responsibility to ensure that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law are held accountable, international accountability mechanisms can become appropriate in circumstances in which a state is unable or unwilling to meet its obligations. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to quickly demonstrate that it is able and willing to meet these obligations as it seeks reconciliation. We hope the Sri Lankans will themselves do this, but if they do not, there will be growing pressure from the international community to examine other options.
