Unlike the previous hawkish Rajapaksa regime, the Sirisena’s government in September last year not only welcomed but also co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) resolution, which called a war crimes court with the participation of foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators.

“I will never agree to international involvement in this matter. We have more than enough specialists, experts and knowledgeable people in our country to solve our internal issues,” President Sirisena said in an interview with BBC’s Azzam Ameen in Colombo on Thursday.

Condemning President’s remarks, the UK-based Freedom From Torture described it “an outrageous reversal of promises made to torture survivors and the international community in October 2015 to deliver an internationalised justice process as part of the new government’s determination to achieve accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka”.

“Survivors of torture receiving rehabilitation treatment from Freedom from Torture have been clear from the start that for them to have any confidence in the justice process, there must be strong international participation at every stage and level,” said its Director of Policy and Advocacy Sonya Sceats.

Expressing similar sentiments, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) said President Sirisena “appears to be rolling back on his commitment in Geneva to include international involvement in a future judicial mechanism”.

“This flies in the face of the recommendation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that Sri Lankan establish “an ad hoc hybrid special court, integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators” said ITJP Executive Director Yasmin Sooka.

High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, who is due to visit Sri Lanka shortly, has been very clear about the “total failure of domestic mechanisms to conduct credible investigations” in Sri Lanka.

“The High Commissioner is right: international involvement is essential for victims and witnesses to have trust in the justice process because Sri Lanka has such a long history of failed domestic processes,” Sooka said.

Insult to victims

ITJP also said it was shocked that the Sri Lankan President should question that crimes took place after the detailed and graphic revelations of the year-long OHCHR Investigation, as well as reports by many other credible international and Sri Lankan organisations.

“This is an insult to the thousands of victims and witnesses who testified to the UN inquiry and other bodies,” said Yasmin Sooka, adding, “it’s rather late in the day to question whether crimes took place”.

John Fisher, the Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch’s office in Geneva said in a tweet that Sri Lanka “must not a mockery of pledge” at the UNHRC to involve foreign judges and lawyers in credible justice mechanism.

The Sri Lanka Campaign said President Sirisena’s proposed u-turn on international judges was due to “reduction in UK/US pressure” and urged him not to make a ‘U-turn’ and keep “his promises”.

The UK-based campaign group said in a tweet that it was “embarrassing” for UK Foreign Minister Hugo Swire and US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal”.

Torture, sexual violence

President Sirisena, during the interview with the BBC, also dismissed reports that the Sri Lankan security forces have continued to abduct, torture and sexually violate Tamil detainees during his period in office. He said such reports came from people “close to the Tamil Tigers”.

ITJP documented twenty such cases that occurred in 2015, while Freedom From Torture has an additional 7 cases that do not overlap.

“It is disappointing to see the new President defame all those who allege there are still ongoing violations as linked to the LTTE”, said Ms. Sooka, “this is the sort of rhetoric and denial we’d hoped would change.”

The Freedom From Torture said: “Of the eight cases of torture in 2015 that we have described, one involves a survivor who has already been granted international protection within the UK asylum system”.

“The remaining seven have been referred to us for forensic documentation of their injuries or have been referred for therapy by psychiatric specialists and GPs in Britain’s National Health Service,” said Sonya Sceats.

(ceylonews.com)