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Alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka under the microscope

Stephen Dziedzic reported this story on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 18:28:00

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STEPHEN LONG: Australian politicians are calling for an international investigation of apparent war crimes in Sri Lanka.
A British television documentary, aired on ABC’s Four Corners program last night, showed evidence of rape, torture and murder of civilians during the Sri Lankan government’s war against the Tamil tigers.
The Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says the footage is appalling and MPs on both sides of politics are agitating for an inquiry.
Stephen Dziedzic reports from Parliament House.
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC: The documentary shows Tamil Tigers using civilians as human shields but it also reveals government forces shelling civilians who had been offered sanctuary in no fire zones.
The Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says the UN’s Human Rights Council needs to reinvestigate the issue.
KEVIN RUDD: Australia believes fundamentally in human rights, international human rights law. No-one watching this program could emerge from that undisturbed and we don’t either.
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC: The Sri Lankan government’s questioned the vision’s authenticity and the Labor MP and former UN lawyer Melissa Parke says it’s impossible to say if all the footage is genuine. But she says the images are disturbing.
MELISSA PARKE: War itself always involves horrors but even in war there are laws, and international humanitarian law and international human rights law provides that even in war certain actions are not permissible.
So some of the things that we saw on the footage is absolutely not permissible under international law.
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC: A UN panel has found there is credible evidence that up to 40,000 people were killed in the final months of the civil war between the Tamil Tigers and government forces. It also called for an investigation of the violence committed by both sides.
Ms Parke says the Sri Lankan government should agree to that.
MELISSA PARKE: As a matter of principle countries should have the courage and confidence to allow a fair examination of their military conduct and to give justice where crimes against international law are committed. And in the fight against terrorism, which clearly Sri Lanka has been engaged in, democratic governments distinguish themselves by the standards they uphold. So I think that it’s in the interest of Sri Lanka to have these claims properly looked at.
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC: Tamils in Australia are planning to step up their lobbying of MPs on the issue.
Varuni Bala from the Australian Tamil Congress says the footage shows there’s a need for an independent investigation.
VARUNI BALA: Both sides are accused of war crimes and this is exactly why we need an independent international investigation to find out the truth. Before any kind of reconciliation to happen we need truth to come out and justice to prevail and people held responsible.
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC: They’ll get a receptive audience in some quarters. Several Labor MPs have spoken out calling for more scrutiny.
The issue has also stirred debate in Coalition ranks. One backbencher used the party room meeting to argue the Government should consider suspending foreign aid to the Sri Lanka. Some of his colleagues urged caution, saying the issue is complex.
The Liberal MP Don Randall, who’s travelled to Sri Lanka, says the footage on Four Corners was horrifying but he says it’s worth remembering the brutality of the Tamil Tigers.
DON RANDALL: The Tamil Tigers were a ruthless and efficient killing machine and in fact they probably killed more of their own Tamil people than the Sri Lankan government themselves. One child from every family was required from the Tamil held areas to become a Tamil soldier, usually child soldiers.
STEPHEN DZIEDZIC: And he says some of those demanding an investigation are only trying to undermine the government of Sri Lanka.
DON RANDALL: And those taking shots from afar and trying to ignite again passions which would destabilise the relationship between the majority Singhalese and the Tamils, and dare I say even the Muslim population of Sri Lanka, should have a good hard look at themselves because they’re doing no service to a country like Sri Lanka in its reconstruction and rebuilding.
STEPHEN LONG: Stephen Dziedzic reporting.

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