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Members of the European Parliament (EP) have called on Sri Lanka for a full, impartial and transparent investigation into human rights violations in Sri Lanka. An amendment calling for an international investigation was defeated by the house.
In a resolution adopted on Thursday the EP called upon the Sri Lankan government 'to implement the recommendations suggested by the UN panel of experts and conduct a genuine investigation'. Credibal allegations The resolution follows the expert panel report to the UN secretary general on accountability issues in Sri Lanka's war against the Tamil Tigers. UN experts in the report released in April said there were "credible allegations, which if proven, indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international rights law was committed both by the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity". A bright and prosperous future The EP also urges the Sri Lankan government to take active measures to protect the Tamil people so that they can look forward to "a bright and prosperous future, on equal terms with their Sinhalese fellow citizens". Introducing the resolution Paul Murphy of the European Green Left told the EP 'given the nature of the Sri Lankan government it is obvious that it will not allow any international investigation'. He said that there should be 'no illusion' that the UN panel report 'would change the conditions of the Tamils in Sri Lanka'. Exteremist elements in the Tamil diaspora Geoffrey Van Orden representing the European Conservatives and Reformists said that he regrets the debate is taking place, claiming that it is promoted by 'exteremist elements in the Tamil diaspora'. Describing it as the 'UN Darusman report' MEP Geoffrey highlighted where it accuses the Tamil Tigers of human rights violations including using civilians as human shields and forcible recruitment in final stages of war. Moves to put the Sri Lankan government in 'the dock' he said, were malicious and counter productive. An amendment to the resolution by Claude Moraes of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats to establish and international justice mechanism was defeated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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India's frustration with Sri Lanka over Tamils