Thaindian News

Washington, Mar. 5 (ANI): The United States has increased pressure on Sri Lanka to go for an international probe into reported war crimes arising out of the civil war between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE).

The U.S. Senate passed a resolution this week urging an international probe into war crimes allegations. The State Department has yet to go that far, but said that pressure to do so would grow if Sri Lanka should fail to investigate the abuses properly.

Senator Casey, who introduced the Senate resolution, said that a “state of denial” exists in the Sri Lankan government that is “not helpful” in achieving accountability for the bloodshed.

According to an ABC News report, about 300,000 Tamil civilians were caught in the climactic battle that ended in may 2009.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International says 7,000 to 40,000 are estimated to have died in the final five months as the two sides exchanged artillery and other fire.

No independent group can say with certainty how many perished. Journalists, human rights activists and all but a few humanitarian workers were barred from the battle zone.

The government in Colombo appointed a “Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission” last year, which has taken evidence from ethnic minority Tamils, government officials, politicians, civil and religious leaders and former rebels. International rights groups have refused to testify before it, saying the commission is pro-government and has no mandate to investigate the killings. (ANI)