Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is reportedly on a personal visit to the U.S., prompting calls from an international human rights group that he be investigated for his alleged role in torture and war crimes.
Mr. Rajapaksa is commander in chief of Sri Lanka‘s armed forces, which along with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), face allegations of war crimes during the decades-long conflict on the South Asian island.
Under international law, military commanders may face criminal charges if they knew, or should have known, of such crimes being committed by their subordinates, according to Amnesty International.
"The United States has an obligation under international law to investigate and prosecute people who perpetrated war crimes and grave human rights violations such as extrajudicial executions, torture and enforced disappearances," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director.
A spokesman for the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington was unable to confirm reports that Mr. Rajapaksa is in the U.S.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has convened a panel of experts to advise him on accountability issues during the war in Sri Lanka.
The LTTE, which resorted to suicide bombers and child soldiers, has been listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.
"Thousands of victims in Sri Lanka demand accountability for the abuses they’ve suffered from the Sri Lankan security forces as well as armed groups such as the LTTE," Mr. Zarifi said.
Contrary to Mr. Zarifi‘s claim, the embassy spokesman, Steve Hedges, said that Sri Lankan forces actually rescued about 300,000 civilians that were held hostage by the LTTE.
Sri Lankan forces, he said, were under strict orders to carry out a "zero civilian casualties" campaign.
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