09/15/2011
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The Economist
THE United States is not in the business of threatening its friends, said Robert O. Blake, US assistant secretary of state, in Colombo on September 14th. But, he added, smiling placidly, there will be pressure. If a domestic commission appointed by Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s president, does not provide credible answers to allegations of war crimes committed by the military, demands for “some sort of alternative mechanism” will mount.
09/07/2011
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Associated Press
GENEVA (AP) — A leading human rights group on Wednesday urged the United Nations to launch an independent investigation of alleged atrocities committed in the final stages of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war, saying the country's own probe into the matter was flawed.
08/08/2011
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State Department, U.S. State Department
MR. TONER: I’m – no, I’m not aware of it. I’ll have to take the question.
Go ahead, Tejinder.
QUESTION: The defense secretary of Sri Lanka, Rajapaska, in an interview with headlines today, has rejected calls by the UN, U.S., and other international communities calling for war crimes investigation. He said actually, how can an international mechanism kick in? He says we have done nothing wrong. So what is the reaction of the U.S. and the ongoing UN efforts on this?
MR. TONER: Well, we continue to call on a transparent accounting of Sri Lanka’s actions, and we believe the UN panel of experts is a mechanism that should be taken advantage of in order to carry out that kind of examination and accounting. I’m aware that Sri Lanka has also conducted some reporting on human rights abuses, alleged human rights abuses, but we still believe that an international mechanism to look at these is in everyone’s interest.
QUESTION: He – however, but he redefined the international community. He says these are not the international community; Russia, China, Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia is the international community, and they are supporting us. So –
MR. TONER: Again, I’ll have to look at his remarks in greater detail, but broadly put, that’s our position.
07/24/2011
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International Crisis Group
As South Africa knows better than most, a country cannot begin to overcome decades of internal conflict without a sustained effort at revealing the truth of the past and a committed push for reconciliation. If only Sri Lanka could learn that lesson.
05/08/2011
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The Nation
The extension of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has nothing to do with the Darusman report, the commission’s media coordinator, Lakshman Wickremasinghe said.
05/08/2011
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Sunday Times
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) will look into the issues raised in the UN Panel of Experts’ report and bear in mind its contents when compiling the final report, Commission spokesman Lakshman Wickremasinghe said.
05/07/2011
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Colombo Page
May 07, Colombo: The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to probe Sri Lanka's armed conflict, has requested the President to extend its term for another six months.
04/24/2011
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Lakbima News
Some prominent retired diplomats advised the government to immediately release the LLRC report to counter the UN panel report on Sri Lanka without wasting time on protests.
03/10/2011
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Asia Society
Over the last week, the United States has raised its voice regarding accountability and reconciliation in post-war Sri Lanka. A US Senate resolution called for the establishment of an independent international accountability mechanism, and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told AFP: “If Sri Lanka is not willing to meet international standards regarding these matters … there will be pressure to appoint some sort of international commission to look into these things.”
03/05/2011
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Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The United States is increasing pressure on Sri Lanka to investigate the deaths of thousands of civilians at the end of its civil war. Human rights groups contend a Sri Lankan government commission has demonstrated no intent of doing it.