Sri Lanka denies reaching agreement with UN over domestic investigation

The Sri Lankan government said responsibility for “the matter of justice and accountability” with regards to investigating human rights violations rests with itself since it was not a signatory to the International Criminal Court, as it denied it had come under pressure to accept any UN conventions.

Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mahishini Colonne also denied that Sri Lanka had reached an agreement with the United Nations to carry out a purely domestic investigation into allegations of human rights violations committed during the final phase of the armed conflict.

Her remarks came after Channel 4 News revealed an internal UN document outlining a purely domestic process for accountability. “I don’t believe there is any agreement of the nature that the Channel 4 portrays,” said Ms Colonne.

“We are party to certain conventions of the United Nations and we have acceded to those conventions, in our own right as a Sovereign State, not because any pressure excerted (sic) by anyone,” she added. “And even on the questions of accountability,  the 100 days’ work programme, I think under point 93 states  that since we are not a party to the ICC Rome Statute, the matter of justice and accountability  and so on, rest with the country concerned - with the Sri Lankans.”

However, Ms Colonne stated that Sri Lanka was engaging in talks with the UN “about funding through the peace building fund”. Speaking on when the Jeffrey Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Feltman visited Sri Lanka in March, Ms Colonne said “the United Nations is committed to assisting in the process of accountability and reconciliation through the peace building fund and other facilities as appropriate”.

Asked on whether the government had any response to the Chief Minister of the Northern Province CV Wigneswaran’s remarks on the document, which he labelled a “betrayal” of the hopes pinned on the UN process by the war victims, Ms Colonne said, “We have no comment”.