Will probe war abuses: Lanka assures US

, May 19:

will conduct investigations into the allegations of war abuses, its Foreign Minister said while presenting a detailed reconciliation plan of the island to the US.

The visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, GM Peiris, presented to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a detailed reconciliation plan and said that Sri Lanka itself would conduct investigations into allegations of war abuses, which includes those by the security forces.

The Sri Lankan Attorney General has started the enquiry into the alleged war abuses and human rights violations that occurred during the last few months of end of the civil war, Peiris told reporters at a news conference held here at the end of his four-day US trip.

On the last day of his Washington-trip, Peiris met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during which he said he presented a detailed reconciliation plan to the US.

"The local enquiry has just started. It has to be given a reasonable opportunity to move forward and to come to a conclusion. Until that is done, any kind of intervention by any kind of international tribunal is premature," Peiris said in response to a question on the investigation being launched by the Sri Lankan Government.

Peiris said the investigations include those alleged violations by the security forces too. The Foreign Minister said the Sri Lankan delegation accompanying him gave a "comprehensive" account to the US official of the steps it has taken after the end of the civil war and towards addressing the concerns of the international community.

However, he insisted that there was no document handed over. "There was no document which we handed over with regard to an action plan. But what we explained to them did constitute a comprehensive account of what have we done, what is now being done, and our thoughts relating to the trajectory for the future," Peiris said.

"We did discuss accountability and we did inform them of the machinery that has been set up to deal with that. The Attorney General of Sri Lanka has been tasked with preparing material relating to situations where there may be prima facie...we have to examine that, whether the prima facie evidence would justify the institution of criminal proceedings," the Foreign Minister said.

Noting that there were a few episodes that were indicated in the report of the LLRC (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission), the Minister said, LLRC recommended that further investigation be done into those particular incidents.

"We would be eager to complete the implementation process of the LLRC recommendations as early as possible," he said. Responding to questions, Peiris said talks were also held on reducing Sri Lanka's dependence on Iranian oil; which was praised by the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, after the meeting.

Peiris said Sri Lanka has reduced its dependence on Iranian oil by 20 per cent. The Foreign Minister said there was a good deal of discussion about matters concerning trade between the two countries.

"Both sides are convinced that now more than ever before there are abundant opportunities for expanding the scope of the commercial relationship. Now that peace and stability has returned to the island there are many areas where American companies can be more active than they have been in the past," he said.

There are several American companies interested in various sectors of the country, including tourism and infrastructure, Peiris added.

PTI