Ms Navi Pillai’s Visit to Sri-Lanka in August 2013 Gives UNHCR Chance to Rectify its Mistakes
By: Dr C P Thiagarajah
A report compiled by a committee co-chaired by former US Secretary of State Ms Madeleine K. Albright for United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Institute of Peace, and Brookings Institution, has criticised the international reaction to Sri Lanka during the final stages of the conflict in May 2009. Former presidential special envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson was the other co-chair. The findings were:
The concept of R2P is embraced by countries in the UN including the USA. The main aim of this provision is preventing and halting genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. However, the international community neglected its responsibility to take timely action when it was apparent that violations of humanitarian law were taking place during January to May 2009 when the Sri-Lankan government advanced into LTTE held areas with the help of India and Western countries. The report stressed that tens of thousands of Tamil civilians died at the end of the Sri Lankan civil war with little international outcry or effective UN response.
