ANC urges Sri Lanka to engage in a genuine reconciliation process

The ANC, the majority party in the South African government, says it supports the recommendations made in the experts’ report that an independent body need to be established to investigate alleged war crimes committed by both the parties during the last phase of the conflict.

“We also call on the government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to address the core grievances of the Tamil population and engage in a genuine reconciliation process,” the statement said.

South Afriica’s Yasmin Sooka, a prominent South African jurist who served in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was among the members of the panel chaired by former Indonesian Attoney General Marzuki Darusman.

Maldives response

The Panel concluded that there were serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed by both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.

We feel that it is not really productive for people in Sri Lanka or of Sri Lankan dissent Maldives Foreign Minister, Dr Ahmed Naseem

Meanwhile, the Maldives government has strongly criticised the expert panel report.

Addressing media in Colombo on Friday, Maldives Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Naseem said that his government is “deeply concerned” about the report.

“We feel that it is not really productive for people in Sri Lanka or of Sri Lankan dissent,” he said.

The Sri Lanka government has rejected the report, describing it as “flawed” and “biased”.