Amid recent exposure of photographs showing graphic scenes, with dead bodies blindfolded, hands bound and shot through the head which provide prima facie evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lanka Security Forces, United Nations spokesperson, Farhan Haq, told Inner City Press (ICP) that the panel will determine if the photos can be used as evidentiary material for the panel’s investigation.
In response to Inner City Press’ question about why the panel has yet to publish its quietly released solicitation of submissions or to provide its cover letter as Inner City Press has twice requested, Haq said that the request has NOT been published on any UN web site, only sent to unnamed “interlocutors,” ICP said in the posting in its website.
Inner City Press asked why, if Ban’s panel wanted to solicit submissions, it did not put the request at least on the UN’s web site, which has so much other material. Haq could or would not explain it, ICP noted in its website.
"The UN panel has full authority to carry out a credible investigation into the alleged war-crimes and establish a precedent on hauling errant states to the Criminal Court. Panel will likely have approved access to hitherto unpublished reports by UN agencies and satellite images of the ground situation during the last stages of the war. We hope that the panel does justice to the truth and redeem UN’s lost credibility among Tamils," said a spokesperson for Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), a US-based activist group.
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