New York: A Sri Lankan government report disregards the "worst abuses" by government forces towards the end of the war that killed the Tamil Tigers in 2009, Human Rights Watch has said.
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report also "rehashes longstanding recommendations and fails to advance accountability for victims of Sri Lanka's armed conflict", it said Saturday.
The "serious shortcomings" of the 388-page report "highlight the need for an international investigative mechanism into the conflict as recommended by the UN Secretary-General's Panel of Experts in April".
"While the UN Panel of Experts recommended the establishment of an independent international mechanism to (probe) alleged violations, the LLRC report provides no realistic pathway for holding accountable military and government officials implicated in serious abuses.
"Governments and UN bodies have held back for the past 18 months to allow the Sri Lankan commission to make progress on accountability," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"The commission's failure to provide a road map for investigating and prosecuting wartime perpetrators shows the dire need for an independent, international commission."
IANS
First Published: Sunday, December 18, 2011, 14:57