Indian MPs urge Sri Lanka to probe alleged abuses

(April 21.2012) Visiting Indian lawmakers urged Sri Lanka's president to investigate alleged human rights violations during the country's civil war, resettle displaced civilians and end the militarization of former war zones, the group said Saturday. Lawmaker Sushma Swaraj, who led the multiparty delegation from India's Parliament, said the group travelled to former war zones and spoke to ethnic Tamils who were displaced when the war ended in 2009. She said that during their four-day visit that ended Saturday, the 12 lawmakers met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other officials, as well as leaders of opposition political parties. They urged them to investigate disappearances and abductions, return private lands seized by the military and restore civilian administration in the Northern Province, the heartland of the ethnic Tamil minority which bore the brunt of the war. Last month, the U.N. rights council urged Sri Lanka to implement its own war commission report that includes proposals to investigate alleged abuses. Sri Lanka responded that it still needs to decide which proposals it will implement.