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Expert panel leaves Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Sri Lanka government is accused of ignoring the advise of an expert panel to improve the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) has accused the government of hindering the investigation. A member of the panel, Gene Dewey, told BBC's Roland Buerk that the lacklustre attitude of Sri Lanka authorities led to Presidential Commission's investigations being 'handicapped'.
"We have found that the work of the commission of inquiry has been handicapped by this lack of support and it's not for me to say that this is an intentional whitewash on the part of the Government, it's just that the commission's activities has fallen far short of what they could have accomplished". The panel, which was set up to monitor a human rights inquiry in Sri Lanka, is pulling out of the country on Monday. The Presidential Commission it was observing is looking into sixteen cases, including the massacre of seventeen aid workers in 2006. Killings of former foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and Batticaloa MP, Joseph Pararajasingham are among the commission's main investigations. | LOCAL LINKS  'Secret agenda' to discredit Lanka28 March, 2008 | Sandeshaya "Human rights factor for GSP+" says EU18 March, 2008 | Sandeshaya Proposed committees just ploy - Mano 15 March, 2008 | Sandeshaya Fund cut for rights probe06 February, 2008 | Sandeshaya COI probe 'deliberately delayed'09 December, 2007 | Sandeshaya Sri Lanka 'lacks credible HR voice'21 November, 2007 | Sandeshaya COPE chairman hits out at Govt.14 November, 2007 | Sandeshaya "Renew Muttur investigation" ICJ26 June, 2007 | Sandeshaya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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We have found that the work of the commission of inquiry has been handicapped by this lack of support and it's not for me to say that this is an intentional whitewash on the part of the Government
