Sri Lanka says fact-finding commission to probe war crime allegations against army

The Sri Lankan government said on Wednesday that a proposed fact-finding commission will inquire into allegations raised against the army.

The army has been accused of committing war crimes during the final stages of a 30-year war with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the government will not flatly deny any allegation related to the war but will investigate them.

A fact-finding commission is expected to be established later this year following wide consultations with all stake holders.

Samaraweera said the commission will investigate if the army chain of command issued orders during the war which led to human rights violations.

Allegations that the military may have used cluster bombs will also be looked at.

Sri Lanka defeated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009 but Samaraweera said that while the war was won little was done to win the peace.

Sri Lanka has won the confidence of the international community and this was clear from the support Sri Lanka received at the recently concluded UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, he said.

He invited the Tamil diaspora who are making allegations against the country to visit Sri Lanka and get a first-hand view of the changes now taking place in the island nation. Endit