Irene Khan meeting President Mahinda Rajapakse

Director General of the Amnesty International, Irene Khan in an interview with Sandesaya said it is an obligation by the Sri Lanka Government to investigate and prosecute Karuna if he returns back to the country.

Test for govt

“This is a test for the Sri Lanka justice system as to whether it can investigate the allegations against him and put him on trial in Sri Lanka”, Khan said.

She said the crimes were committed in Sri Lanka and they were committed against Sri Lanka citizens. There are allegations and there is an obligation on the side of the government to investigate and prosecute Karuna.

"If the government did not investigate and prosecute, there would be pressure on Karuna whenever he goes abroad but the real problem is for the Sri Lanka Government to acknowledge there are human rights violations, she said.

Referring to Sri Lanka losing its membership in the UN Human Rights Council, AI Director General Irene Khan said that AI never oppose or support any state to the Human Rights Council.

“We have never campaigned against Sri Lanka”, she said.

She said that AI believes that it is important that all governments with a good or bad human rights record to engage with the international community.

“There has been an election process but Sri Lanka was not re-elected. We believe that should not affect Sri Lanka’s obligations to respect human rights of its own citizens”, Khan said.

	Security Service personnel accused of killing aid workers in Muttur

She said that there has been a high number of civilian targets in recent fighting both by the government forces, LTTE and other armed groups.

Attacks condemned

Amnesty International condemns the ways the LTTE has carried out indiscriminate killings and attack that affect civilians.

Similarly, she said, there is enormous obligation on the side of the government to protect civilians but AI has seen an increase on attacks on civilians.

“Sri Lanka has the highest rate of disappearances in the world and over five thousand five hundred people have disappeared. These are enormous human rights problems. We would like to see the government of Sri Lanka take them very seriously and address them”, AI Director General Irene Khan added.