AAPThe Australian government will be keen to learn the findings of a Sri Lankan report addressing issues of war crimes, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says.
The federal government has called on Sri Lanka and its President Mahinda Rajapaksa to address allegations of human rights abuses during the war against Tamil Tiger separatists in 2009.
Mr Rudd told reporters in Perth on Tuesday that he had so far only exchanged pleasantries with the Sri Lankan foreign minister.
But he said the issue was likely to come up during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this week.
Mr Rudd said a United Nations report into the controversy mentioned the possibility of potential war-crimes trials against the Sri Lankan government and the president.
"That is why we have called on the Sri Lankan government, together with other governments around the world, to respond to each of the matters that affects them in their reconciliation commission report," he said.
"What we will all be looking at carefully is the content in that report once it is delivered and how it deals with specific matters and allegations contained within the earlier UN report."
Sri Lanka is due to host the next CHOGM in 2013 but Canada has already threatened to pull out of the summit.
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AMANDA HODGE
October 26, 2011
Fraser backs call to bar Colombo
FORMER prime minister Malcolm Fraser has added his weight to a push for Commonwealth action against Sri Lanka, calling on summit members to postpone its proposed hosting rights for the 2013 CHOGM until it has answered allegations of war crimes.
