The European Union's Charge d'Affaires to Sri Lanka Paul Godfrey said in an interview that those who violated codes of good conduct must be held accountable.
Mr Godfrey, speaking to the Sunday Observer said Sri Lanka still had a long way to go on human rights and reconciliation, although excellent progress had been made.
He stressed that those who committed crimes must be held accountable.
"What we need to combat terrorism is to stand up for fundamental values, such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law. This means people who err most, whether they are involved in fights against terrorism or not, need to be held accountable for these actions, that strengthen our overall message against terrorism and shows a clear distinction between those who are terrorists and those in law enforcement.
"There is no doubt the Sri Lankan army and police had to combat the terrorist threat posed by the LTTE, but it seems from allegations that there were certain actions outside the practice of good conduct that we expect from the Sri Lankan armed forces. If this is true, then those who acted in that manner should be held accountable,
"There is no excuse for raping women, or executing those who surrendered. Those are the kinds of violations that we feel need to be addressed, by whichever judicial mechanism Sri Lanka considers appropriate. It's important that crimes committed by all sides, Sri Lankan armed forces, LTTE terrorists or paramilitary forces be addressed. It should not be a process specifically targeting the Sri Lankan armed forces."
Speaking on the GSP+ trade tariffs, withdrawn from Sri Lanka over its human rights record, the EU representative said,
"The GSP plus is a specific concession the EU offers, based on the implementation of 27 UN international conventions. Nine teen relate to human rights. It was withdrawn in 2010 because the previous government violated 15 of these conventions. This government has made good progress. But there are some areas, where demonstrable progress was needed. We are working with the government to clear them,
"Flouting 15 UN conventions led to this. Clear progress in all fifteen conventions must be seen. These relate to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on Torture and the Child Rights Convention. These three conventions are the most important, where Sri Lanka had failed. We must be convinced that the progress is irreversible."
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