GHOSTS OF WAR STILL HAUNT SRI LANKA

This week, Sri Lanka faced the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the accountability process for the alleged war crimes during the last phase of the country’s civil war.

- SMRUTI S PATTANAIK

Duringthe period, thousands perished, including those who were assured security in the state-designated ‘no fire zone’. Inthe 60th regular session of the UNHRC held on September 8 at Geneva, the Human Rights High Commissioner asked Sri Lanka to constitute international accountability mechanisms to lookinto the violation ofhuman rights to ensure accountability is guaranteed. Sri Lanka's brush with human rights violations continues as the UNHRCis persistently pursuing the matter of rights violations.

The government of Sri Lanka has been insisting that there was “zero civilian casualty” during the military operation in 2009 against the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Families of many who have been missing, including those who surrendered to the Army to buy safety for their lives, await answers from the State on the whereabouts of their loved ones. In this context, the recent discovery of mass graves in Chemmani, including skeletal remains ofless than 10-month-old babies, attests to the brutality of the war. However, this is not the first time mass graves were discovered in Mannar, Kokkuthoduvaiand Thiruketheeswaram have not reached any conclusion on

the identities of the people and how they were killed.