UN report on war crimes divides Sri Lanka

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he will only launch an international investigation into allegations of possible war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lanka's civil war two years ago if the government agrees, which is highly unlikely, or member states call for a probe.

A U.N. statement publicly releasing a report by a U.N. panel said the secretary-general has been advised that he needs government consent or a decision from member states in an international forum. He didn't specify a forum but it could include the U.N. Security Council, General Assembly or Human Rights Council.

The panel called on the secretary-general to immediately establish «an independent international mechanism» to investigate what it called credible allegations that both the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels committed serious violations, including some that could amount to war
crimes and crimes against humanity, in the months before the decades-long war ended in May 2009.

Dr. Jehan Perera is executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka. He says “The report by the Expert Panel has sharply polarized Sri Lankan society and is likely to do so even more unless the government takes remedial action”. Listen to full interview: