An Appeal Calling for Withdrawal at Make Unfounded War Crime Allegations

His Excellency Maiththreepala Sirisena,

President,

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,

Presidential Secretariat,

Colombo 01.

Your Excellency,

An Appeal Calling for Withdrawal of the Sri Lankan Co-sponsorship of UNHRC Resolution A/HRC/30/L. 29 that Make Unfounded War Crime Allegations against the Sri Lankan Armed Forces

Your Excellency is already aware that UNHRC approved above Resolution in 2016. The United States of America sponsored the Resolution, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka declared that the Sri Lankan Government co-sponsored the Resolution. The minister has made this declaration without any sanction either from the Cabinet of Ministers or Parliament. The Resolution makes nine serious war crime allegations against the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and the Government.

The Resolution makes a series of recommendations to ensure accountability and one of which is the establishment of a hybrid court consisting of foreign judges, lawyers and prosecutors to investigate those allegations.

Your Excellency has declared in public several times that presidential sanction would not be granted to establish a hybrid court to try the members of the armed forces of Sri Lanka. Several other ministers including the Minister of Justice too have affirmed your views. In this context, we the peoples of Sri Lanka including the expatriate patriotic Sri Lankans appeal to Your Excellency to take all necessary action to withdraw the Sri Lankan sponsorship for the aforesaid Resolution.

Global Sri Lankan Forum

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