![]() ![]() ![]() "Australia's short-term, one-eyed interest in stopping boats and its perceived need to keep Sri Lanka close in order to do that, has led to these outrageous results where we don't support accountability for war crimes in our region," she said. The Human Rights Law Centre's Emily Howie says Australia's hesitation is linked to its "perceived need" to keep Sri Lanka close. "It is our belief that Australia will change its policy approach towards Sri Lanka on a more principled footing by carefully considering the long-term interests of both Australia and Sri Lanka," the organisation said in a statement. The Australian Tamil Congress says they are disappointed at the Government for not co-sponsoring the resolution, with Australia having co-sponsored the previous two resolutions on Sri Lanka. "We should recognise the brutality of the LTTE, a proscribed terrorist organisation, during the 30-year civil war from which the country is struggling to emerge." "I do not think the resolution adequately recognised the significant progress taken by the Sri Lankan government to promote economic growth and its investment in infrastructure in areas formerly dominated by the LTTE in the north and north-east of the country," she said in a statement. The inquiry is the culmination of a long campaign by countries and human rights groups who say Sri Lanka has failed to investigate past crimes and abuses.Īustralia has declined to co-sponsor the resolution, saying it wants to see the final text first.įoreign Minister Julie Bishop says she does not believe the inquiry, without the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government, is the best way forward. The United Nations has launched an international inquiry into war crimes allegedly committed by both sides during the 26 years of bloody civil war between Sri Lankan state forces and Tamil rebels (LTTE).
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