Sri Lanka: Cameron issues deadline on 'war crimes' inquiry

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David Cameron threatens to push for an independent international inquiry into allegations of war crimes at the end of Sri Lanka's civil war if the island nation does not conduct its own probe by 20 !"

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-r Cameron has been the most vocal critic of Sri Lanka's record on rights during a biannual summit of Commonwealth nations being held in the capital Colombo" 0ollow the Channel ! )ews team at Chogm in Sri Lanka $he normally sedate event has been shaken by the intensifying row over atrocities during the final months of the war and ongoing abuses ever since" %) 1uman &ights Council 2Let me be very clear" 3f an investigation is not completed by -arch4 then 3 will use our position on the %) 1uman &ights Council to work with the %) 1uman &ights Commission and call for a full credible and independent international inquiry42 -r Cameron told reporters" -arch is when the %) 1uman &ights Commission ne5t meets to assess Sri Lanka's progress on addressing human rights abuses including allegations of war crimes" 3t was not immediately clear what form an international inquiry would take" 3f an investigation is not completed by -arch4 then 3 will call for a full independent inquiry6 David Cameron -r Cameron added7 2%ltimately all of this is about reconciliation" 3t is about bringing 8ustice and closure and healing to this country which now has a chance of a much brighter future" $hat will only happen by dealing with these issues and not ignoring them"2 $he government4 run by -ahinda &a8apaksa and several of his family members4 disputes the number given for civilian deaths and says civilian casualties were far lower" 3t says criticism of its record on rights amounts to foreign interference in its affairs" 29e are not going to allow4 definitely we will ob8ect it42 another one of the president's brothers4 ,conomic Development -inister .asil &a8apaksa said

in response to a question about the possibility of an international inquiry" '9e will take our time' *n Saturday Channel ! )ews 0oreign #ffairs Correspondent :onathan -iller qui;;ed -r &a8apaksa about -r Cameron's earlier comments" <resident &a8apaksa replied7 29e will take our time and we will investigate into nearly /0 years of war"2 Sri Lanka has in the past refused to allow the %nited )ations unfettered access to the former war ;ones" 9e will take our time and we will investigate into nearly /0 years of war6 -ahinda &a8apaksa $he Sri Lankan army crushed $amil $iger separatists in the final battle of a long civil war in 200=4 in a strategy partly drawn up by <resident -ahinda &a8apaksa's brother4 defence secretary >otabaya &a8apaksa" Watch above: President Rajapaksa is quizzed by Channel 4 News Some /004000 civilians were trapped on a narrow beach during the onslaught and a %) panel estimates !04000 non6combatants died" .oth sides committed atrocities but army shelling killed most victims4 it concluded" Since the end of the war4 harassment of government critics4 including attacks on 8ournalists and human rights workers have continued" # heavy army presence on the former $amil $iger strongholds in the north of the country angers some local ethnic $amils who feel they are treated as enemies of the state" &ead more7 Cameron 'good to his word' in tackling &a8apaksa on human rights #t the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth meeting on 0riday4 the president said he had saved lives by ending the war and that the

Commonwealth should not be a punitive organisation dominated by 2bilateral agendas"2 $he Commonwealth groups ?/ nations4 mostly former .ritish colonies4 and is headed by @ueen ,li;abeth" 3t has little power or economic clout but sometimes plays a role in resolving disputes" Sri Lanka had predicted /A of the Commonwealth's member nations would attend the summit" 3n the end4 8ust 2( showed up" $he leaders of Canada and -auritius publicly boycotted the event because of concerns about human rights" 3ndia's prime minister stayed away because of pressure from 3ndian ethnic $amils" Leaders o Co!!onwealth "eads o #overn!ent $eetin% &C"'#$( held an in or!al su!!it in Colo!bo on )aturday to discuss the %roup o nations* uture+ ,he %roupin% o !ostly or!er -ritish colonies %athered at a water ront resort in the capital on the second day o the biennial su!!it that has brou%ht with it intense scrutiny o )ri Lanka*s hu!an ri%hts record our years a ter the civil war ended+ President $ahinda Rajapaksa had hoped the ./0.1 Nove!ber !eetin%2 which two heads o state have boycotted2 would prove an advertise!ent or pro%ress and econo!ic %rowth in the island state o 3.! o 4ndia*s southern tip+ 4nstead the su!!it has been overshadowed by alle%ations o state0sponsored rape and torture2 and political pressure2 that has also co!e ro! -ritish Pri!e $inister 5avid Ca!eron who has vowed to press )ri Lanka on its hu!an ri%hts record+ 6arlier on )aturday2 $r Ca!eron told a news con erence that in his !eetin% with Rajapaksa he pressed or an independent probe into the hu!an ri%hts abuses a ter his visit to 7a na2 sayin% that the issue could no lon%er be wished away+ ,he -ritish Pri!e $inister visited the or!er con lict zone where tens o thousands o civilians died in the last !onths o a war between the %overn!ent and the Liberation ,i%ers o ,a!il 6ela! &L,,6( rebels2 who lost their i%ht or a separate state or )ri Lanka*s ,a!il !inority+ "e was the irst international leader to visit the north o the country where the war ended in 3889+ Rajapaksa has staunchly de ended his %overn!ent*s record2 a ter sayin% this week it had :nothin% to hide:+ )eparatist ,a!il rebels battled %overn!ent orces or 3; years until an ar!y o ensive crushed the! in 3889+ < =N panel has said around 482888 !ainly ,a!il civilians died in the inal !onths o the o ensive+ -oth sides co!!itted atrocities but ar!y shellin% killed !ost victi!s2 it concluded+